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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 






WATCHMAKERS' AND JEWELERS' 



Practical Receipt Book 



A WORKSHOP COMPANION. 



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COMPRISING FULL AND PRACTICAL FORMULAE AND DIRECTIONS FOR 
SOLDERS AND SOLDERING, CLEANING, PICKLING, POLISHING, COLOR- 
ING, BRONZING, STAINING, CEMENTING, ETCHING, LACQUER- 
ING, VARNISHING, AND GENERAL FINISHING OF METALS, 
AS APPLIED TO THE WATCH AND JEWELRY TRADE. 
TOGETHER WITH ALL THE IMPORTANT ALLOYS 
USED BY THE TRADE AND MANY 
MISCELLANEOUS RECEIPTS. 



COMPILED FROM PRIVATE FORMULAE. 



CHICAGO: 

GEO. K. HAZLITT & CO., Publishers. 

1S92. 






COPYRIGHTED, 1892, 

BY 

GEO. K HAZLITT &r CO. 



WATCHMAKERS' AND JEWELERS' 

Practical Receipt Book. 



CEMENTS. 



Amber Cement. 

i . Moisten the broken edges of the amber with a solu- 
tion of potash and press them together and keep in this 
position until dry. 

2. Heat slightly the broken surfaces, apply a small por- 
tion of shellac to the warmed surface and press closely 
together. After all is dry remove the superfluous cement 
by means of a sharp knife and polish with a flannel rag 
and oil. 

3. Heat the broken surfaces, apply boiled linseed oil 
and press firmly together until dry. 

4. Mastic melted in boiled linseed oil and applied to the 
broken parts is said to make a perfect joint. 

Jeweler's Armenian Cement. 

1. Melt one part of thick isinglass glue, mix with one 
part of thick mastic varnish and keep in a well corked 
bottle. To use, heat in hot water. 

2. Soak isinglass in water and dissolve in 2 oz. of spirit 
to form a thick paste; dissolve 10 gr. of pale gum 
ammoniac in this by rubbing well together. Add to this 



4 WATCHMAKERS AND JEWELERS 

six large tears of gum mastic dissolved in the smallest 
possible quantity of alcohol. 

3. Dissolve six pieces of gum mastic the size of a pea 
in as much spirits of wine as will suffice to render it liquid. 
Dissolve two oz. of isinglass in water, pour off the super- 
fluous liquor and dissolve in rum, adding 10 gr. of gum 
ammoniac, which must be thoroughly incorporated by rub- 
bing in with the liquid until dissolved. Mix this with the 
gum mastic, using heat. Put up in a closely stoppered 
bottle and when about to use heat the bottle in hot water. 
This cement is said to be very effective in uniting all sub- 
stances, even glass to polished steel. 

4. Keller's Armenian cement. Soak for twenty-four 
hours ^oz. of isinglass in 40Z. of water; evaporated in a 
water bath to 2 oz; add 2 oz. alcohol and strain through 
a linen cloth. Form' a solution of % oz. best mastic and 
2 oz. alcohol and mix while warm with the above. Add 
to this 1 drm. gum ammoniac and mix until thoroughly 
incorporated. Avoid the lo.ss of the spirit by evaporation 
as much as possible. 

5. Ure's Armenian cement. Water 6 oz., isinglass ioz; 
boil to 3 oz., and add i}4 oz.; rectified alcohol, boil for a 
minute or two, strain and add while hot, first a milky 
emulsion of ammoniac, }4oz., then 5 drm. tincture of 
mastic. 

Acid Proof Cement. 

1. Quicklime and linseed oil mixed to a stiff paste 
forms a hard cement which resists both acid and heat. 

2. India rubber melted by gentle heat is mixed with 
from 6 to 8 per cent, by weight, of tallow, stirring well 
the while; dry slacked lime is now added until the mass 
assumes the consistency of a thick paste ; now add 20 per 
cent, of red lead which will make it harden and dry. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 5 

3. Mix a concentrated solution of silicate of soda with 
powdered glass to form a paste. 

4. Melt 25 grm. of old gutta percha, previously reduced 
to shreds, and mix with 75 grms. of powdered pumice 
and then add 150 grms. of Burgundy pitch. This cement 
will be found useful for lining troughs used in galvanop- 
lastic manipulations and will resist sulphate of copper 
baths but not cyanides. 

5. Melt one part India rubber with two parts lin- 
seed oil; add sufficient white bolus for consistency. 
Neither muriatic nor nitric acid attack it ; it softens a little 
in heat, and its surface does not dry easily; which is 
produced by adding one-fifth part of litharge. 

6. Sulphur 100 parts, resin 2 parts, tallow 2 parts 
Melt and add sifted ground glass until brought to the 
proper consistency. 

Alabaster Cement. 

1 . Finely powdered plaster of Paris made into a paste 
with water. This cement may be used to join and to §t 
together pieces of alabaster or marble, or to mend broken 
plaster figures. 

2. Melt rosin, or equal parts of yellow rosin and bees- 
wax, then stir in half as much finely powdered plaster of 
Paris. This cement is used to join alabaster, marble, and 
other similar substances that will bear heating. 

3. Melt alum and dip the fractured faces into it; then 
put them together as quickly as possible. Remove the 
exuding mass with a knife. 

4. To y 2 pint skimmed milk add x / 2 pint vinegar and 
mix the curd with the white of five eggs well beaten, and 
sufficient powdered quick-lime sifted in, stirring constantly, 
to form a thick paste. 



6 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

5. Prepare a thin paste by boiling rice to a pulp or 
using rice flour and hot water and thicken this paste with 
finely powdered quick-lime. Slightly heat the fractured 
surfaces, apply and place in a warm spot until dry. 

Cement for Leather. 

1. Take equal parts of isinglass and glue and add 
enough water to cover. Let this soak for ten hours 
and then bring to a boil and add pure tannin until the 
mixture becomes stringy or like the white of eggs. 
Rough up the surfaces of the leather to be united and 
apply the mixture hot to them. Place the joint under 
pressure of heavy weights for a few hours and it will be 
found that a joint has been made as strong as the leather 
itself. This will be found to be an excellent cement for 
joining flat lathe belts, draw skins, etc. 

2. Shred or cut into small pieces pure India rubber. 
Select a wide mouthed bottle with glass stopper and fill 
about one-tenth full of the shreds and fill the bottle with 
pure benzine, which is free from all oil. Allow the mix- 
ture to stand until the benzine has thoroughly cut or dis- 
solved the rubber. If too thin, add rubber and if too 
thick, benzine. This cement will be found excellent for 
fastening small belts or joining other pieces of leather or 
rubber. 

Cement for Bisque Figures. 

Carefully wash and dry several oyster shells, burn well, 
slack in the air and reduce to a fine powder in a mortar. 
Pass through a fine sieve and mix with the white of egg. 
Clean thoroughly the fractured surfaces, heat slightly and 
apply the cement keeping the parts well pressed together 
for a few minutes until dry. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 7 

Label Cement. 

i. Gum Arabic 2 oz., gum tragacanth x / 2 oz., water 
y 2 pint. Stir until thoroughly dissolved, then strain and 
add 7 grains thymol, 2 oz. glycerine and water to make 
one pint. 

2. Half fill a wide-mouthed glass stoppered bottle 
with acetic acid and add isinglass until it forms a thick 
paste, which it will in a few hours. This cement is useful 
for attaching labels to tin or glass, which it does very 
effectually. 

3. Alcohol 95 per cent. 10 oz., ordinary cooking gela- 
tine 1 oz., glycerine 1 oz. The gelatine should be pre- 
viously soaked in cold water for an hour and the super- 
fluous moisture squeezed out. Preserve in wide-mouthed 
glass-stoppered bottle. This cement is also valuable for 
mounting photographs, and will not discolor or turn 
yellow. 

4. One or two drops of glycerine added to a small 
bottle of mucilage is said to prevent the mucilage drying 
too hard, and labels on glass can be kept firmly in place 
\v4th it. 

Coral Cement. 

Warm coral very carefully, and with a pencil brush 
cover the crack with watch oil; when cool the seam will 
not show, 

Cement for Acid Bottles. 

Melt 2 parts of tallow over a sand or water bath, and 
gradually add 30 parts of pure rubber shredded up. 
After all is thoroughly melted add two parts of slacked 
lime. 



8 WATCHMAKERS AND JEWELERS 

Glass and Metal Cement. 

Brass letters, and other articles of a like nature, may 
be securely fastened on glass windows with the follow- 
ing: 

i. Litharge 2 parts, white lead 1 part, boiled linseed 
oil 3 parts, gum copal 1 part. Mixed just before using. 
This forms a quickly-drying and secure cement. 

2. To 16 parts of copal varnish add 2 parts of turpen- 
tine, 5 parts of drying oil, 5 parts of liquid glue and 10 
parts stucco. 

3. Knead together rosin soap with half the quantity of 
zinc white. 

Gutta Percha Cement. 

Resin 2 parts, gutta percha 4 parts and tar 2 parts. 
Heat in water bath and apply warm. This cement is said 
to make a perfect joint for gutta percha. 

Cutlery Cements. 

These cements will be found very effective for fasten- 
ing blades of knives into ivory or pearl handles. Fill the 
cavity in the handle with the cement, heat the tang of 
the blade, crowd it in and remove the superfluous 
cement. 

1. Melt together 5 parts pitch, 1 part hard tallow and 
1 part wood ashes. 

2. Melt4 parts resin and 1 part beeswax and stir in 1 
part of sifted brick dust. 

3. Melt together 4 lbs. resin and 1 lb. beeswax and stir 
in 1 lb. whiting. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. Q 

Cements for Ivory. 

i. Mix together finely powdered quicklime and white 
of egg. Apply sparingly, clamp firmly and lay aside for 
24 hours. 

2. Dissolve in 30 parts of water 2 parts of white glue 
and 1 part isinglass. Strain and evaporate to 6 parts. 
Add a small piece of gum mastic previously dissolved in 
alcohol and 1 part of zinc white. 

Cements for China, Porcelain and Glass. 

1. In 64 parts of chloroform dissolve 1 part of India 
rubber and then add from 14 to 20 parts of gum mastic 
in powder . Allow the whole to dissolve for two days, 
shaking occasionally Preserve in air-tight bottles. 

2. Melt together 4 parts of Burgundy pitch, 6 parts 
sulphur, 2 parts elemi, 1 part shellac and 6 parts of finely 
powdered kaolin. The fractured surfaces should be 
thoroughly cleansed and heated before applying cement. 

Enamel Dial Cements. 

1. Gum copal 50 parts, damar 50 parts, Venice 
turpentine 55 parts, zinc white 30 parts, ultramarine 1 to 
2 parts. Apply hot and after allowing to cool remove 
the superfluous cement with a sharp knife and polish 
with a burnisher and beeswax. This will be found an 
excellent cement for repairing chipped enamelled dials, 
either for clocks or watches. 

2. Scrape some pure white wax, mix it with equal parts 
of zinc white, melt the mixture over a spirit lamp, and let 
it cool. For use, warm the dial plate slightly and press 
the cold cement into the defective place. The cement 
adheres very firmly and by scraping with a sharp knife 
acquires a white and lustrous surface. In case the 



IO WATCHMAKERS AND JEWELERS 

cement should be too hard add some wax, and if too soft 
some zinc white. Cleanliness in the manipulation and 
moderate heating in mixing are the principal points and 
contribute essentially to the snow white color of the 
cement. 

Cement for Emery Wheels and Sticks. 

Melt together equal parts of white resin and shellac. 
When thoroughly melted add an equal amout of carbolic 
acid in crystals. 

Cements for Celluloid. 

i. In 2 parts spirits of camphor, dissolve 2 parts shellac 
and add to this 7 parts strong alcohol. Apply warm, 
but do not bring the celluloid with fire as it is very 
inflamable. 

2. Dissolve finely scraped celluloid in 90 per cent, 
spirits of wine. Slightly warm it in water bath before 
applying. 

Cement for Horn and Bone. 

Dissolve 5 parts of mastic in 2 parts of turpentine and 
and 6 parts linseed oil. This cement will be found use- 
ful for mending horn and bone jewelry, knife handles, 
combs, etc. 

Cement for Jet. 

Broken crosses, brooches, ear rings, etc., of jet may be 
repaired with shellac which has previously been smoked 
or mixed with alcohol and lamp black to give it a black 
color like the article. The cement should be applied 
sparingly and the edges warmed before applying. 

Cement for Meerschaum. 

A solution of water glass, or silicate of soda and casein 
is prepared to which is added, by stiring into it, a little 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. II 

calcined magnesia. This cement must be used at once. 
Casein is prepared by allowing well skimmed milk to 
stand until it curdles, when the casein is filtered out and 
washed on a paper filter. To simplify the above, fresh 
cheese may be boiled in water and mixed with slacked 
lime and ashes, using 10 parts cheese, 20 parts water, 2 
parts lime and 2 parts wood ashes. The broken parts 
should be bound together after cementing and set aside 
for 24 hours. 

Cement for Hard Rubber. 

This cement will be found useful for mending hard 
rubber jewelry, combs, etc. Dissolve bleached gutta 
percha in carbon bisulphide. Apply and when dry brush 
over with carbon bisulphide in which sulphur has been 
dissolved. 

Opticians' Cements. 

1. Resin 15 oz., and beeswax 1 oz., melted together. 
Take 4 oz. of whiting in an iron spoon and bring it to 
a red heat. Allow it to cool partially and while still 
warm add it to the above, stirring in well. 

2. Fill a wide mouthed bottle y z full of shellac and 
cover it with rectified spirit of wood naphtha. Allow 
it to stand until it assumes a jelly. This cement and 
number 1 will be found valuable for holding glasses 
while grinding and polishing. 

Engraver's Cement. 
Resin, 1 part; brick dust, 1 part; mix with heat. 

Fireproof Cement. 
A very tenacious and fire-proof cement for metals is 
said to be made by mixing pulverized asbestos with 
waterglass, to be had in any drug store; it is said to be 
steam tight, and resist any temperature. 



12 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

Metal Cement. 

Take Plaster of Paris, and mix it to proper thickness 
by using water containing about one-fourth of gum Arabic. 
This cement is excellent for metal exposed to contact with 
alcohol. 

Strong Cement. 

Mix some finely-powdered rice with cold water, so as 
to form a soft paste. Add boiling water, and finally boil 
the mixture in a pan for one or two minutes. A strong 
cement is thus obtained of a white color, which can be 
used for many purposes. 

Gold and Silver Colored Cement. 

A cement for filling hollow gold and silver articles con- 
sists of 60 parts shellac, 10 parts Venetian turpentine, and 
3 parts gold bronze, or silver bronze, as the case may be. 
The shellac is melted first, the turpentine is then added, 
and finally, with constant stirring, the gold or silver 
bronze. 

Tortoise Shell Cement. 

1. Shellac, 45 parts; mastic, 15 parts; spirits of wine, 
90 per cent., 175 parts; and turpentine, 3 parts. This 
cement will join broken tortoise shell jewelry, knife 
handles, combs, cigar holders, etc., in a very neat manner 
and the joint will be so strong that it will be easier to 
break the material than the joint. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 1 3 



ENAMELS. 



Enamel Fluxes for Colored Enamels. 

The ingredients are pounded to a fine powder in a 
stone mortar and then placed in a heated crucible. 

To prepare the fluxes, a suitable furnace is used, which 
must be entirely free from rust and lined up to the cover 
with fire bricks set in clay so that only the opening for 
the door remains free. Through a hole in the center of 
the cover, which is also provided with a cover, the ingre- 
dients in the crucible are stored with an iron rod. To 
secure the crucible, a piece of brick is laid upon the grate. 
The firing is done either with charcoal alone, or with 
charcoal mixed with coke. The following are the most 
important fluxes: 

1. Fuse 8 parts of minium, i^ parts of borax, 2 of 
ground flint and 6 of flint glass. 

2. Fuse 10 parts of flint glass, 1 of white arsenic and 
1 of saltpetre. 

3. Fuse 1 part of minium and 3 of flint glass. 

4. Fuse 9^ parts of minium, 5^ of borax and 8 of 
flint glass. 

5. Fuse 6 parts of flint glass, 7 of the flux prepared 
according to No. 2, and 8 of minium. 

6. Fuse 6 parts of the flux prepared according to 
No. 4, with 1 of colcothar. 

7. Fuse 6 parts of minium, 4 of borax and 2 of pow- 
dered flint. 



1 4 WATCHMAKERS AND JEWELERS 

The fluxes prepared as above are cooled off in water, 
then dried and finally powdered in a stone mortar. 

Brown Enamel. 

Fuse together S}4 parts of minium, 4 of pulverized 
flint, and 2 y 2 of pyrolusite, triturate, 1 y 2 parts of this 
mixture with 1 part of flux 4, and 1^2 parts of iron filings. 

Green Enamel. 

Prepare green frit by fusing together 1 ]/ 2 parts of 
green pot metal glass, 3 of pulverized flint, 7^2 of borax, 
i% of green oxide of copper, 7^2 of minium and 3 of 
flux 1. Pound the mixture to fine powder in a stone 
mortar. Triturate with water 5 parts of this frit, }4 of 
flux 2 and 2^ of flux 6. 

Light Red Enamel. 

Triturate with water 1 j4 parts of white lead, 1 part of 
red sulphate of iron and 3 of flux 1. 

Dark Red Enamel. 

Triturate with water 1 part of brown sulphate of iron, 
and 2^ of flux 7. 

Opaque White Enamel. 

Calcine in a crucible 1 part of buck's horn shavings 
until they are entirely white, and rub them to a paste 
with 1 part of flux 1. Triturate with water 1 part of 
Venetian white enamel and 1 of flux No. 8, and fuse the 
two mixtures together. 

White Enamel. 

For white enamel all ingredients must be perfectly 
free from foreign admixture as any impurities will inter- 
fere with the color. Washed antimony 1 part, fine glass, 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 1 5 

perfectly free from lead, 3 parts; mix, melt and pour the 
fused mass into clean water; dry and repeat as before 
until a perfectly uniform color is obtained. When well 
managed the color will rival the opal. 

Violet Enamel. 

Saline or alkaline frits or fluxes colored with small 
quantities of peroxide of manganese. The color depends 
on the complete oxidization of the metal and care should 
therefore be taken not to give contact with any substance 
in the flux that will abstract the oxygen. 

Rose Colored Enamel. 

Purple enamel or its constituents, 3 parts, flux 90 parts. 
Mix and add silver leaf or oxide of silver one part or less, 
according to shade desired. 

Purple Enamel. 

1. Flux, colored with oxide of gold, purple precipitate 
of cassius, or peroxide of manganese. 

2. Sulphur, niter, vitriol, antimony, oxide of tin, of each 
1 pound, red lead 60 pounds, mix, fuse, cool and powder, 
add rose copper, 19 oz., zaffre 1 oz., crocus martis, \y 2 
oz., borax, 3 oz., 1 lb. of a compound, formed of gold, 
silver and mercury. Fuse, stirring constantly with a 
copper rod, place in crucibles and place in reverberating 
furnace 24 hours. 

Olive Enamel. 
Good blue enamel 2 parts, black and yellow enamel, of 
1 part each. Mix. 

Blue Enamel. 
1. Thoroughly powder and mix 4 parts of black oxide 
of cobalt, 13 of saltpetre, and 9 of flint. Fuse thoroughly 
over a charcoal or coke fire, pulverize, wash in cold 
water, and triturate 1 part of this powder with one of flux 
5, given above. 



1 6 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

2. Fuse together i part of black oxide of cobalt and i 
of borax. Melt over a good fire 2 parts of this, x / 2 part 
of minium and 10 of blue pot metal glass. 

Yellow Enamel. 

1. Mix in a stone mortar 8 parts of minium, 1 of white 
oxide of tin and 1 of antimony oxide. Bring to a red heat 
in a crucible, allow to cool off and mix 1 part of this with 
^y 2 parts of flux 4 to a paste with water.' 

2. White oxide of antimony, alum and sal ammoniac, 
each 1 part, pure carbonate of lead 1 to 3 parts, according 
to shade desired. Powder, mix and expose to heat suf- 
ficient to fuse the sal ammoniac very bright. 

3. Pure oxide of silver added to the metallic fluxes. If 
a thin film of oxide of silver be spread over the surface 
of the enamel to be colored, exposed to a moderate heat, 
withdrawn and the film of reduced silver on the surface 
removed, the under part will be found a fine yellow. 

Orange Enamel. 

1. Red lead 12 parts, red sulphate of iron and oxide of 
antimony, each one part, flint powder 3 parts. Calcine, 
powder, and melt with flux 50 parts. 

2. Red lead 12 parts, oxide of antimony 4 parts, flint 
powder 3 parts, red sulphate of iron 1 part. Calcine, then 
add flux 5 parts to every 5 parts of this mixture. 

3. Thoroughly mix 12 parts of minium, 4 of antimony 
oxide, 3 of pulverized flint and 1 of red sulphate of iron, 
and heat without fusing. Triturate with water 1 part of 
this and 2^ of flux 7. 

Enamels for Watch Dials. 

The dials are prepared with a backingof sheet copper 
having raised edges to receive the enamel in powder, 
which is fused. After cooling, the lettering and figuring 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 1 7 

are printed on the plate with soft black enamel by trans- 
ferring. The dial is again placed in a muffle to fuse the 
enamel of the lettering or figuring. The enamel used is 
composed of white lead, arsenic, flint glass, saltpetre, borax 
and ground flint reduced to powder, fused and formed 
into cakes. 

Phosphorescent Enamel. 

Commercial phosphorescent paint in powder is inti- 
mately mixed with 2 /^ of its weight of very finely pulver- 
ized fluor spar or cryolite and one-fifth of calcium borate. 
The mixture is made into a paste with water, and applied 
in a uniform layer to the articles to be enameled by means 
of a brush. They are then burnt in the usual manner. 

Fine Black Enamel. 

Triturate with water i part of black oxide of copper 
and 2 of flux 4. 

Niello. 

A metallic enamel composed of 48 parts of flowers of. 
sulphur, 9 of pure copper, 9 of pure lead, 4 of fine silver 
and two of borax. First melt the silver, then add the 
copper and then the lead, stirring with a charcoal stick. 
Prepare a crucible,. into which place the sulphur and upon 
the top of which pour the molten metal, and continue to 
fuse a few minutes. Pour the mass over brushwood into 
water to form into granules. Collect the granules, dry 
in the air and pulverize in a mortar. Niello is used as fol- 
lows: the design is engraved on the metal to be orna- 
mented and the powder is mixed with spirit of sal am- 
moniac to a paste, and applied by rubbing into the lines 
in the metal which has previously been heated. The 
superfluous paste is renewed by filing and the surface 
stoned and polished. 



1 8 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

To Take Enamel Out of Work. 

Take fluor spar, and pound it fine; use enough of the 
powder to cover well the article ; then take a lead cup and 
pour on sufficient vitriol to make a thin liquid. Boil the 
article in this and the enamel will be removed. Be very 
careful and let the fumes pass up chimney, as they are 
injurious. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 



BRONZING, STAINING AND COLOR- 
ING OF METALS. 



Green Bronze for Brass. 

i. Mix 80 parts strong vinegar, 1 of mineral green, 1 
of red umber, 1 of sal ammoniac, 1 of gum Arabic, 1 of 
green vitriol, and add 4 of Avignon berries (fruit of 
Rhantus Infect orius). Boil the mixture and strain when 
cold. Cleanse the articles with weak nitric acid, rinse 
and apply the fluid with a brush. If not dark enough 
heat the article to about 200 , and then give a coat of 
lamp black mixed with alcohol. Finish with lacquer or 
spirit varnish. 

2. Dissolve 8}4 ounces of copper in 1 ounce nitric 
acid; add 10^ fluid drams vinegar, 3^ drams sal- 
ammoniac, 6% drams aqua ammonia. Put the liquid in 
a loosely corked bottle, and stand in a warm place for a 
few days. After applying it to the articles, dry by gentle 
heat and finish with linseed oil varnish, also dried by heat. 

Violet on Brass. 

Heat the metal to about the boiling point, plunge it in 
a solution of chloride of antimony for an instant and rub 
with a stick covered with cotton. 

Orange on Brass. 

Polish the article and plunge it for a few minutes in a 
warm neutral solution of copper acetate. 



20 WATCHMAKERS AND JEWELERS' 

Green on Brass. 

i. Wash the article with dilute acetic acid and expose 
to the fumes of strong aqua ammonia, Repeat until the 
desired shade is obtained. 

2. Immerse in a solution of i part perchloride of iron 
in 2 parts of water until the desired shade is assumed. 

3. Boil in a strong solution of nitrate of copper. 
Wash, dry, burnish and lacquer all the above. 

Steel Gray on Brass. 

Antimoniac sulphide and fine iron filings, 1 part of each ; 
hydrochloric acid 3 parts ; water 4 parts. 

Blue on Brass or Copper. 

Cleanse the article thoroughly by boiling in potash lye 
and treat it with white wine vinegar; wipe and dry the 
surface thoroughly and rub with a linen rag, moistened 
with hydrochloric acid; let it stand for a quarter of an 
hour, then heat the article over a sand bottle until it 
assumes the desired shade. 

Dead Black on Brass. 

Mix in a glass bottle 2 parts of hydrochloric acid and 1 
part of nitric acid; add 35 grains of platinum wire or foil, 
and place on a sand bath until the platinum is dissolved. 
Apply by dipping, or with a brush. This is the finish 
used on optical instruments. 

Black Bronze for Brass. 

Brush the brass with a dilute solution of nitrate of 
mercury, and then several times with a solution of liver 
of sulphur. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 21 

To Frost Watch Caps and Plates. 

Take 2^ parts nitric acid, and 2 parts muriatic acid, 
full strength. Dip in the articles for a few seconds, rinse 
in clear water, scratchbrush with a circular motion, then 
gild. 

To Frost Watch Plates. 

Watch plates are frosted by means of fine brass wire 
scratch brushes fixed in a lathe, and made to revolve at 
great speed, the end of the wire brushes striking the 
plate producing a beautiful appearance ; or, sink that part 
of the movement to be frosted for a short time into a 
mixture of nitric acid, muriatic acid and table salt, 1 ounce 
of each. On removing from the acid, place it in a shal- 
low vessel containing enough sour beer to nearly cover 
it, then with a fine scratch brush scour thoroughly, letting 
it remain under the beer during the operation. Then 
wash off, first in pure water and then in alcohol. Gild 
or silver in accordance with any of the well known methods. 

To Frost Silver. 

1. Silver goods may be frosted and whitened by pre- 
ing a pickle of sulphuric acid 1 dram, water 4 ounces; 
heat and immerse the silver articles until frosted as desired ; 
then wash off clean, and dry with a soft linen cloth, or in 
fine clean sawdust. For whitening only, a smaller quan- 
tity of acid may be employed. 

2. The article has to be carefully annealed either in a 
charcoal fire or with a blow pipe before a gas flame, which 
will oxidize the alloy on the surface, and also destroy all 
dirt and greasy substances adhering to it, and then boiled 
in a copper pan containing a solution of dilute sulphuric 
acid — of 1 part of acid to about 30 parts of water. The 
article is then placed in a vessel containing clean water, 
and scratch-brushed or scoured with fine sand, after which 



22 WATCHxMAKERS, AND JEWELERS 

the annealing and boiling-out is repeated, which will in 
almost all cases be sufficient to produce the desired result. 
If a very delicate dead surface such as watch dials, etc., 
is required, the article is, before the second annealing, 
covered with a pasty solution of potash and water, and 
immediately after the annealing plunged in clean water, 
and then boiled out in either sulphuric acid solution, or a 
solution of i part cream tartar and 2 parts common salt to 
about 30 parts of water. If the article is of a low quality 
of silver, it is well to add some silver solution, such as is 
used for silvering, to the second boiling-out solution. If 
the article is very inferior silver, the finishing will have to 
be given by immersing it in contact with a strip of zinc 
in a silver solution. 

To Frost Polished Silver. 

Dissolve Yv oz. cyanide of potasium in 4 oz. water, 
apply with a brush, holding the article with lancewood 
or boxwood pliers. Cyanides are very poisonous and 
should be used with care. 

Silvering Copper and Brass. 

Mix 3 parts of chloride of silver with 20 parts finely 
pulverized cream of tartar, and 15 parts culinary salt. 
Add water in sufficient quantity, and stir until the mixture 
forms a paste, with which cover the surface to be silvered 
by means of blotting paper. The surface is then rubbed 
with a rag and powdered lime, washed, and rubbed with 
a piece of soft cloth. The deposited film is extremely 
thin. 

Silver Plating. 

For rapid silver plating, prepare a powder of 3 parts 
of chloride of silver, 20 parts carefully pulverized cream 
of tartar, and 15 parts pulverized cooking salt; mix it 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 23 

into a thin paste with water, and rub it upon the well- 
cleaned metallic surface with blotting paper. After you 
are certain that all parts of the article have been touched 
alike, rub it with very fine chalk powder or dust upon 
wadding or other soft cloth. Wash with clean water and 
dry with a cloth. 

Silver-Plating Fluid. 

Dissolve 1 oz. nitrate of silver, in crystals, in 12 oz. 
soft water; then dissolve in the water 2 oz. cyanide of 
potash, shake the whole together, and let it stand until it 
becomes clear. Have ready some half-ounce vials, and 
fill half full with Paris white, or fine whiting, and then 
fill up the bottles with the liquid, and it is ready for use. 
The whiting does not increase the coating power, it only 
helps to clean the article, and save the silver fluid, by half 
filling the bottles. 

Simple Method for Silver Plating. 
The process consists in exposing the article, which has 
previously been well cleansed with a potash solution and 
dilute hydrochloric acid, to the operation of a silver bath, 
which is prepared in the following manner : Form a solu- 
tion of 32 grams (1 oz., 13.8 grains) nitrate of silver, 20 
grams silver (12 dwts., 20.6 grains) in 60 (1 oz., 18 dwts., 
13.9 grains) grams nitric acid. The silver is precipitated as 
silver oxide with a solution of 20 grams solid caustic 
potash in 50 grams (1 oz., 12 dwts.$ 3.6 grains) distilled 
water, carefully washed, and the precipitate taken up by 
a solution of 100 grams (3 oz., 4 dwts., 7.2 grains) cyanide 
of potassium in 500 grams distilled water. The fluid, 
distilled through paper, is finally diluted with distilled 
water, to 2 liters (4^ pints). The thus prepared silver 
bath is gently warmed in the water bath, and the article 
to be silver plated laid in it and kept in motion for a few 



24 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

minutes, and after taking out it is dried in sawdust, and 
then polished with Vienna chalk for giving luster. 

Silvering Receipt. 

Care must be taken that the pieces which are dipped 
in the metal bath be treated before in the ordinary man- 
ner in a potash solution and dilute hydrochloric acid. The 
silver bath is made with a solution of 4 ounces' lunar 
caustic (equal to a solution 2^ ounces silver in 7^ 
ounces nitric acid); the silver of this solution is precipi- 
tated as oxide of silver by the addition of a solution 
of 2^ ounces of caustic potash in 6]/ 2 ounces distilled 
water; and the precipitate, after being washed, is added 
to a solution of 12^ ounces of cyanide of potassium 
in one quart of water. This solution is then filtered and 
water added to bring it to 4 quarts. In this solution, 
which is heated on the water bath, the pieces that are to 
to be silvered are left for a few minutes. Being agitated, 
they are taken out, and put to dry in fine sawdust and 
then polished. 

Silvering Small Iron Articles. 

The small iron articles are suspended in dilute sulphuric 
acid until the iron shows a bright clean surface. After 
rinsing in pure water, they are placed in a bath of a 
mixed solution of sulphate of zinc, sulphate of copper and 
cyanide of potassium, and there remain until they receive 
a bright coating of brass. Lastly they are transferred 
to a bath of nitrate of silver, cyanide of potassium, and 
sulphate of soda, in which they quickly receive a coating 
of silver. 

Cold Silvering of Metal. 

Mix 1 part of chloride of silver with 3 parts of pearl- 
ash, T.y 2 parts common salt, and 1 part whiting; and 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 25 

well rub the mixture on the surface of brass or copper 
previously well cleaned, by means of a piece of soft 
leather, or a cork moistened with water and dipped in 
the powder. When properly silvered, the metal should 
be well washed in hot water, slightly alkalized, then 
wiped dry. 

Gold Tinge to Silver. 

A bright gold tinge may be given to silver by steeping 
it for a suitable length of time in a weak solution of sul- 
phuric acid and water, strongly impregnated with iron 
rust. 

Imitation of Antique Silver. 

The article is dipped in a bath of water containing 
about 10 per cent, of sulphide of ammonium, and then 
scratch-brushed with a brush made of glass threads or 
bristles. When afterward burnished with an agate 
tool its surface becomes a beautiful dark brown color. 

Oxidizing Silverware. 

Sal-ammoniac, 2 parts; sulphate of copper, 2 parts; 
saltpeter, 1 part. Reduce these ingredients to a fine 
powder, and dissolve it in a little acetic acid. If the article 
is to be entirely oxidized, it may be dipped for a short 
time in the boiling mixture; if only in parts, it may be 
applied with a camel-hair pencil, the article and the mix- 
ture both being warmed before using. 

Oxidizing Silver. 

There are two distinct shades in use, one produced by 
chloride, which has a brownish tint, and the other by sul- 
phur, which has a bluish-black tint. To produce the 
former it is only necessary to work the article with a solu- 
tion of sal-ammoniac; a much more beautiful tint, how- 
ever, may obtained by employing a solution composed of 



16 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

equal parts of sulphate of copper and sal-ammoniac in 
vinegar. The fine black tint may be produced by a 
slightly warm solution of sulphate of potassium or sodium. 

Oxidizing Silver Brown-black. 

Place the articles in a solution of equal parts of sal- 
ammoniac and blue vitriol in vinegar until the desired 
shade is obtained. Then rinse, dry and polish. 

Oxidizing Silver Blue-black. 

Place the articles in a solution of liver of sulphur 
diluted with spirits of sal-ammoniac. Allow to remain 
until sufficiently discolored, then wash, dry and polish. 

Pink Tint on Silver. 

Dip the cleaned article for a few seconds in a hot 
solution of chloride of copper; then rinse and dry, or dip 
in 90 per cent, alcohol and ignite the alcohol. 

Dead White on Silver Articles. 

Heat the article to a cherry-red or a dull red heat, and 
allow it to cool, then place it in a pickle of 5 parts sul- 
phuric acid to 100 parts of water, and allow it to remain 
for an hour or two. If the surface is not right, rinse 
in cold water, and repeat the heating and pickling opera- 
tion as before. This removes the copper from the 
surface of the article, leaving pure silver on the surface. 
When sufficiently whitened, remove from the pickle, 
well rinse in pure hot water, and place in warm box- 
wood sawdust. 

To Whiten Silver Watch Dials. 

Flatten a piece of charcoal by rubbing it on a flat stone; 
on this place the dial, face upward ; apply a gentle heat 
carefully with a blowpipe, allowing the flame to play all 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 27 

over the surface of the dial without touching it, so as to 
thoroughly heat without warping the dial. Then pickle 
and rinse, using acid enough to make the water very tart, 
and immersing but for a few seconds. Silver dials may 
also be annealed by heating them red hot on a flat piece 
of copper over a clear fire. 

Gold Yellow for Brass. 

A gold like appearance may be given to brass by the 
use of a fluid prepared by boiling for about 15 minutes, 
4 parts caustic soda, 4 parts milk sugar, and 100 parts 
water, after which 4 parts of a concentrated solution of 
sulphate of copper is added with constant stirring. The 
mixture is then cooled to 79 degrees C, and the pre- 
viously well cleaned articles are for a short time laid into 
it. When left in it for some time they will first assume a 
blueish and then a rainbow color. 

Coloring Copper. 

To produce a dark-brown color upon copper, take 
the white of an egg, beat it into froth, add a little boiled 
or rain water, and add to this mixture caput mortnum 
(red oxide of iron) color; rub them well together in a 
mortar, and sufficiently thick until the color covers, and 
may be applied. The copper articles are to be pickled 
and simply washed; no sand must -be used, else the color 
adheres badly. The latter is next applied with a brush 
until it covers the surface; it is then dried by a fire, the 
article is gently rubbed with a soft rag and caput 
mortuum powder, and finally hammered with a hammer 
with polished face. 

Transparent Blue for Steel. 

Damar varnish, 1 pint; finely pulverised Prussian blue, 
1 dram; mix thoroughly. Makes a splendid appearance. 
Excellent for blueing hands. 



28 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

To Blue Steel. 

In order to blue steel pieces evenly, the following will 
give satisfactory results; first blue the object without any 
special regard to uniformity of color. If it proves to be 
imperfect, take a piece of deadwood that does not crumble 
too easily, or of clean pith, and whiten the surface with 
rouge without letting it be too dry. Small pieces thus 
prepared, if cleaned and blued with care, will assume a 
very uniform tint. 

To Bronze Steel. 

Methylated spirit, i pint; gum shellac, 4 ounces; gum 
benzoine, ]/ 2 ounce. Set the bottle in a warm place, with 
occasional agitation. When dissolved, decant the clear 
part for fine work, and strain the dregs through muslin. 
Now take 4 ounces powdered bronze green, varying the 
color with yellow ochre, red ochre and lamp black, as 
may be desired. Mix the bronze powder with the above 
varnish in quantities to suit, and apply to the work, after 
previously cleansing and warming the articles, giving 
them a second coat, and touching off with gold powder, 
if required, previous to varnishing. 

To Blue Screws Evenly. 

Take an old watch barrel and drill as many holes into 
its head as you desire to blue screws at a time. Fill it 
about one-fourth full of brass or iron filings, put in the 
head, and then fit a wire long enough to bend over for a 
handle into the arbor holes — head of barrel upward. 
Brighten the heads of your screws, set them point down- 
ward into the holes already drilled, and expose the bottom 
of the barrel to your lamp, until the screws assume the 
color you wish. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 29 

Aniline Bronzing Fluid. 

A bronzing fluid which is said to be very brilliant, 
and applicable to all metals, as well as to other substances, 
is prepared as follows: Take 10 parts of aniline red 
and 5 parts of aniline purple, and dissolve in ioo parts 
of 95 per cent, alcohol, accelerating the solution by plac- 
ing the vessel in a sand or water bath. Solution having 
been effected, add 5 parts of benzoic acid, and boil for 
from 5 to 10 minutes, until the greenish color of the 
mixture has been converted into a fine, light-colored 
bronze, which is applied with a brush and dries easily. 

Antique Bronzes. 
One can give bronze the green stain of verdigris by 
covering the spots to be discolored with ground horse- 
radish saturated with vinegar, and keeping the horse- 
radish wet until the stain has become fixed. This will 
require some days; for though the discoloration will 
show after a few hours, it will be superficial and vanish 
by wiping. Three or four days will, however, turn your 
bronze into an antique, so far as the mockery of age can 
make it old. 

To Color Soft Solder. 

The following is a method for coloring soft solder so 
that when it is used for uniting brass the colors may be 
about the same : First prepare a saturated solution of 
sulphate of copper — blue stone — in water, and apply some 
of this on the end of a stick to the solder. On touching 
it then with an iron or steel wire it becomes coppered; 
and by repeating the experiment the deposit of copper 
may be made thicker and darker. To give the solder a 
yellow color, mix one part of a saturated solution of 
sulphate of zinc with two of sulphate of copper; apply 
this to the coppered spot and rub with a zinc rod. The 



30 WATCHMAKERS AND JEWELERS 

color can be still further improved by applying gilt pow- 
der and polishing. On gold jewelry or colored gold the 
solder is first coppered as above, then a thin coat of gum 
or isinglass solution is laid on and bronze powder dusted 
over it, making a surface which can be polished smooth 
and brilliant after the gum is dry. 

Silvering Tincture. 

Experiments have shown the following receipts for a 
silvering tincture to be excellent. Prepare the following 
solutions : 

A. Two parts of burned lime, 5 parts of grape sugar, 
2 of tartaric acid, 650 of water. The solution is filtered 
and put in bottles; should be entirely filled and well 
corked. 

B. Dissolve 20 parts of nitrate of silver in 20 of aqua 
ammonia and then add 650 of water. 

Just before the tincture is to be used mix solutions A 
and B together; shake well and filter. Metals and dry 
vegetable substances, such as wood tissues, horn buttons, 
ivory, etc., ( can be silvered with this fluid. 

To Bronze Medals, etc. 

Powder and mix 1 pound each of verdigris and sal- 
ammoniac; take a portion of this about as large as a hen's 
egg and boil in a copper pan with about 5 pints of water 
for 20 minutes. Let it settle and pour off the water. 
Place the medals in a copper pan, resting them on pieces 
of wood or glass, so they do not touch each other or the 
copper; pour the fluid upon them and boil until the desired 
color is obtained. 

Chinese Brown Bronze. 

Powder and mix thoroughly 2 parts crystallized verdi- 
gris, 2 of cinnabar, 2 of sal-ammoniac, 2 of horn shavings 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 3 1 

and five of alum. Moisten with water or alcohol and 
rub into a paste. Cleanse the articles thoroughly, polish 
with ashes and vinegar, apply the paste with a brush, 
heat over a coal fire and wash the coating off. Repeat 
until the desired shade is obtained. Addition of blue 
vitriol gives a chestnut brown, while borax gives a 
yellowish shade. 

Antique Green. 

Dissolve i part sal-ammoniac, 3 of powdered tartar, 3 
of common salt, in 12 of boiling water. Then add 8 parts 
cupric nitrate, and coat the articles with the liquid. 

To Cover Spots on Gold or Plated Articles. 

The following recipe will be found to answer well in 
removing or covering over spots on gold or plated articles 
where the plate is worn off. Dissolve twenty-four grains 
of fine coin gold in one-half ounce of nitro-muriatic acid, 
and then absorb the acid with a clean blotting paper. 
When the paper is thoroughly dry burn it and pulverize 
the ashes, which rub on the spots with chamois skin, 
moistened with water. The spots should first be tho- 
roughly cleaned. 

Acid-Coloring Small Articles. 

For acid-coloring on small articles, a very good plan is 
to place them on a lump of charcoal, and make them red 
hot under the blow-pipe flame, and then to throw them 
into a pickle composed of about 35 drops strong sulphuric 
acid to 1 ounce of water, allowing the article to remain 
therein until the color is sufficiently developed; washing 
the article in warm water in which a little potash has been 
dissolved, using a brush, and finally rinsing and drying in 
boxwood sawdust, completes the operation. 



32 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

To Whiten Iron. 

Take ammoniacal salt in powder and mix it with an 
equal quantity of quick silver. Dissolve in cold water 
and mix well. Immerse the red heated metal in this bath 
and it will become as white and beautiful as silver. Be 
careful and do not burn the article by overheating. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 33 



LACQUERS AND VARNISHES. 



In lacquering metals of all kinds, be sure that all oil and 
grease are removed from the surface; the work should 
not be handled with the fingers, but should be held with 
a spring tongs or with a clean cloth. The work should 
be heated so hot that the brush will smoke on being 
applied, but not so hot as to burn the lacquer. See that 
the end of the brush is perfectly even; if not trim it. 
Use the extreme end of the brush and very little lacquer, 
as it is better to apply two thin coats than one thick one. 
If the lacquer be too thick, it should be thinned with a 
proper medium, as alcohol, turpentine, etc., and if too thin, 
evaporate by placing on the stove. Where articles are 
lacquered in large quantities they may be dipped, in which 
case they should be immersed by means of a wire into a 
bath composed of equal parts of nitric and sulphuric acids, 
removed, rinsed thoroughly in cold water, dipped into 
hot water, then in alcohol and then dipped momentarily 
into lacquer, shaken to remove all superfluous lacquer 
and laid on a warm metal plate until dry. Lacquer for 
dipping should be considerably thinner than that used 
with a brush. 

Lacquer For Silverware. 

Coat the article ..with a fine brush with collodion, which 
has previously been diluted pretty strongly with alcohol. 
This coating dries at once and forms a very thin, trans- 
parent and invisible protection which shields the silver 
completely, and, if necessary, may be washed off with 
hot water. This process is much employed in English 
silver stores. 



34 WATCHMAKERS AND JEWELERS 

Lacquers For Brass. 

i. Dragon's blood 40 grains; seed lac 6 ounces; am- 
ber and copal, triturated in a mortar, 2 ounces; oriental 
saffron 36 grains; alcohol 40 ounces; extract of red San- 
ders y 2 dram; coarsely powdered glass 4 ounces. 

2. Gamboge, seed lac, annatto, dragon's blood, each 
1 ounce; 2^ pints alcohol, % ounce saffron. 

Gold Lacquer for Brass. 

Twenty-four grains extract red sanders wood in water, 
60 grains dragon's blood, 2 ounces amber, 6 ounces seed 
lac, 2 ounces gamboge, 36 grains oriental saffron, 36 
ounces pure alcohol; 4 ounces powdered glass. The 
amber, gamboge, glass, dragon's blood and lac should be 
thoroughly pounded together. Infuse the saffron and 
the sanders wood extract in the alcohol for 24 hours. 
Pour this over the other ingredients and strain. 

Lacquer for Brass. 

Coat it with the following varnish: 1 part white shellac 
and 5 alcohol; 1 shellac, 1 mastic, 7 alcohol; or, 2 sanda- 
rac, 8 shellac, 1 Venetian turpentine, 50 alcohol; or, 12 
parts sandarac, 6 mastic, 2 elemi, 1 Venetian turpentine, 
64 alcohol. Clean the article well, do not touch with 
your hands, and warm to about 75 C. 

Transparent Lacquer. 

Dissolve 2 parts camphor and 30 parts copal gum in 
30 parts of oil of lavender and 120 parts of oil of turpen- 
tine. 

Fine Pale Lacquer. 

Saffron 2 drms., white shellac 1 oz., turmeric 1 drm., 
Gamboge 1 drm., alcohol 1 pint. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 35 

Simple Pale Lacquer. 

Dissolve 1 oz. white shellac in a pint of alcohol. 

Green Lacquer. 

To 1 pint simple lacquer add 4 drams turmeric, 1 dram 
of Gamboge. 

Red Lacquer. 

To 1 pint simple lacquer add 32 drams annatto and 8 
drams of dragon's blood. 

Gold Lacquer. 

Turmeric 16 drms., shellac 3 oz., saffron 2 drms., 
annatto 2 drms., alcohol 1 pint. 

Amber Lacquer. 

Oil of turpentine 12 parts, amber 4 parts, Venice tur- 
pentine 1 part, elemi 1 part. 

Gold Lacquer on Iron. 

Dissolve 3 oz. finely powdered shellac in 1^ pints of 
alcohol. Filter through linen and rub in a sufficient 
quantity of dutch gold to give a lustrous color. Polish 
and heat the iron, brush with vinegar and then apply the 
color with a brush, when dry, varnish with copal varnish. 

Lacquer for Dials. 

A handsome varnish for dials of clocks, watches, etc., 
may be prepared by dissolving bleached shellac in the 
purest alcohol. It offers the same resistance to atmos- 
pheric influence that common shellac does, when used as 
a coating on brass. The manner of applying it is easily 
learned. 



36 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

Lacquer for Steel. 

After having cleaned the iron or steel article, anoint it 
with a solution of wax in benzine, using a fine camel's hair 
brush. By this treatment, articles exposed to acid vapors, 
may be protected against rusting. Another coating may 
be made if the steel or iron is covered with a layer of a 
mixture obtained by boiling sulphur with turpentine oil; 
this evaporates and leaves the sulphur upon the surface 
as pure sulphur, which again combines with the metal and 
forms sulphuret of iron, by heating the articles, if small, 
over a gas or alcohol flame, 

Black Lacquer for Iron and Steel. 

Boil "1 part of sulphur with 10 parts oil of turpentine. 
Cover the article with a very thin coat and hold over the 
flame of an alcohol lamp, until the black polish makes its 
appearance. 

Lacquer for Metals. 

Melt one part by weight of best wax paraffine, and 
when sufficiently cooled, add three parts of petroleum. 
Mix well together, and apply to the polished article by 
means of a soft brush. The protecting film need only be 
very thin, wherefore not too much should be applied. 

Lacquer for Gypsum Figures. 

Three parts caustic potash are dissolved in 36 parts hot 
water, 9 parts stearic acid are added, and the obtained 
soap paste is diluted with the same quantity of water and 
95 per cent, alcohol. The warm solution is applied upon 
the warm gypsum cast, and this, after a few hours, is 
repeated with a wet sponge. The casting becomes still 
handsomer if, in place of potash, a corresponding quantity 
of ammonia is used. Old casts are first cleaned with a 3 
per cent, caustic potash solution. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 37 



CLEANING, PICKLING AND 
POLISHING. 



Polishing Agents. 

Various polishing agents are used by watchmakers, 
jewelers, gold and silversmiths, a few of which are here 
described. Where the article will admit of it, the best 
results are obtained by polishing in the lathe. For this 
purpose the watchmaker should not use his regular lathe, 
but should have for the purpose what is known as a polish- 
ing lathe, fitted with its various attachments in the shape 
of scratch brushes, buffs, etc. 

Polishing Powder for Gold. 

1. White lead, 43 parts; chalk, 174 parts; carbonate 
of magnesia, 17 parts; alumina, 43 parts; silica, very 
finely powdered, 26 parts; ferric oxide, 17 parts. This 
is an excellent powder and is much used in finishing 
new work by goldsmiths. 

2. Mix together 4.3 parts of alumina, 17.4 of chalk, 
4.3 of carbonate of lead, 1.7 of carbonate of magnesia, 
and 1.7 of rouge. 

3. An- excellent polishing powder for gold and sil- 
ver consists of burnt and finely pulverized rock alum, 
5 parts, and powdered chalk 1 part. Mix and apply 
with a dry brush. 

Restoring the Color to a Gold or Gilt Dial. 

Dip it for a few seconds in the following mixture: 
Half an ounce of cyanide of potassium, is dissolved in a 



38 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

quart of hot water, and 2 ounces of strong ammonia, 
mixed with half an ounce spirits of wine, are added to 
the solution. On removal from the bath, the dial is 
immediately immersed in warm water; then brush with 
soap, rinse, and dry in hot boxwood dust. Or it may 
be simply immersed in dilute nitric acid, but in this 
case any painted figures will be entirely destroyed. 

Removing Spots on Gilding. 

Boil common alum in soft, pure water and immerse 
the article in the solution, or rub the spot with it and 
dry with sawdust. 

Cleaning Electro-Plate. 

The tarnish can be removed by dipping the article 
from one to fifteen minutes, in a pickle of the following 
composition: Rain water, 2 gallons, and potassa cyanu- 
ret y 2 pound; dissolve together, and fill into a stone jug 
or jar, and close tightly. The article after having been 
immersed, must be taken out and thoroughly rinsed in 
several waters, then dried with fine, clean sawdust. 
Tarnished jewelry can speedily be restored by this pro- 
cess; but be careful to thoroughly remove the alkali, 
otherwise it will corrode the goods. 

Cleaning Gold Tarnished in Soldering. 

It is usually cleaned in dilute sulphuric acid. The pickle 
is made in about the proportion of one-eighth of an ounce 
of acid to one ounce of rain water. 

Cleaning Mat Gold. 

Take 80 gr. chloride of lime, 80 gr. bicarbonate of 
soda, and 20 gr. table salt; pour over this about 3 quarts 
distilled water, and put in bottles, to be kept well corked. 
For use, lay the dirty articles in a dish, pour over them 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 39 

the well shaken fluid, let it submerge them, leave them in 
it for a short time, and in extra cases, when very dirty, 
warm them a little. Next wash the articles, rinse them 
in alcohol, dry them in sawdust, and they will appear like 
new. The fluid is of no further use. 

Cleaning Watch Chains. 

Gold or silver watch chains can be cleaned in a very 
excellent manner — no matter whether they be mat or 
lustrous — by laying them for a few seconds in pure aqua 
ammoniac; they are then rinsed in alcohol, and finally 
shaken in clean sawdust, free from sand. Imitation and 
plated chains are first cleaned in benzine, they are then 
rinsed in benzine, and afterward shaken in dry sawdust. 
Ordinary chains are first to be dipped in the following 
pickle : Pure nitric acid is mixed with concentrated sul- 
phuric acid, at the rate of 10 parts of the former and two 
parts of the latter; a little cooking salt is mixed with this. 
The chains are boiled up in this mixture; they are then 
rinsed several times with water, finally in alcohol, and 
dried in sawdust. 

Silver Soaps. 

1. Cut in small pieces 2 lb. cocoanut oil soap; dissolve 
in sufficient water to form a thick jelly; add 2 lb. fine 
rouge by stirring until thoroughly homogeneous, and put 
in boxes. 

2. Dissolve 14 oz. Marseilles soap in 2 quarts of water, 
add 7 oz. finest French chalk; if color is desired, add a 
little fuschine; bottle for use. Apply with a woolen rag. 

3. Saponify 10 lb. of cocoanut oil with pure caustic 
soda in the usual manner and boil to a clean jelly, then 
add 2 lb. tripoli, 1 lb. alum, 1 lb. cream tartar, 1 lb. white 
lead. All the ingredients should be very finely powdered 



40 WATCHMAKERS AND JEWELERS 

and intimately mixed before stirring in the soap. Pour 
the mixture into tin moulds and it will quickly solidify. 
To use, moisten the article with lukewarm water and 
apply the soap with a rag. 

4. Hard soap. 8 oz., turpentine ij4 oz., water 4 oz, 
boil until perfectly dissolved and add aqua ammonia 3 oz. 

5. Dissolve 10 parts castile soap in 10 parts water; 
remove from the fire and stir in 30 parts fine whiting. 

6. Dissolve 10 parts castile soap in 10 parts of water; 
remove from the fire and stir in 10 parts tripoli, 5 parts 
rouge, 15 parts French chalk. The powders should be 
fine, and intimately mixed before adding. 

Polishing Powder for Silver. 

Mix intimately, 4 parts of finest washed pipe clay and 1 
part of pure tartar. 

Cleaning Silverware. 

Hyposulphate of soda is the simplest and most effective 
cleansing material for silverware; it operates quickly and 
is cheap. A rag or a brush moistened with the saturated 
solution of the salt cleans, without the use of cleaning 
powder, strongly oxidized silver surfaces within a few 
seconds. 

Cleaning Silver Tarnished in Soldering. 

Expose to a uniform heat, allow it to cool, and then boil 
in strong alum water; or, immerse for a considerable 
length of time in a liquid made of x / 2 oz. of cyanuret of 
potassia to one pint of rain water, and then brush off with 
prepared chalk. 

Cleaning Silver Filigree Work. 

Anneal your work over a Bunsen flame or with a blow- 
pipe, then let grow cold (and this is the secret of success), 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 4 1 

and then put in a pickle of sulphuric acid and water, not 
more than five drops to one ounce of water, and let your 
work remain in it for one hour. If not to satisfaction, 
repeat the process. 

Brass Polishes. 

1. Rottenstone 4 oz., oxalic acid, powdered, 1 oz.; 
sweet oil, 1^ oz.; turpentine to make a paste; apply with 
soft leather. 

2. Equal parts of sulphur and chalk, made into a paste 
with vinegar. Allow to dry on the article and clean with 
-a chamois or brush. 

3. Dip the brass in a mixture of 1 oz. alum, 1 pint lye 
and polish with tripoli on a chamois. This gives a brilliant 
luster. 

Magic Polish for Brass. 

Add to sulphuric acid half its bulk of bichromate of 
potash; dilute with an equal weight of water, and apply 
well to the brass; rinse it well immediately in water, wipe 
dry, and polish with pulverized rotten stone. 

Polishing Paste for Brass. 

Dissolve 15 parts of oxalic acid in 120 parts of boiling 
water and add 500 parts of pumice powder, 7 of oil of tur- 
pentine, 60 of soft soap, and 65 of fat oil. The polishing- 
agent is usually mixed with oil, alcohol or water, to pre- 
vent scattering, and is then applied to the polishing tool 
in the shape of cloth and leather buffs, polishing files, etc. 
Either the work or the tool should revolve with great 
velocity in order to secure good results. Many articles 
are brought to a high degree of polish by the use of the 
burnisher, after subjecting them to the action of the ordi- 
nary polishing agents. 



42 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

To Clean Brass. 

The method prescribed for cleaning brass, and in use 
in all the U. S. arsenals, is claimed to be the best in the 
world. The plan is to make a mixture of one part com- 
mon nitric acid and one-half part sulphuric acid in a stone 
jar, having also ready a pail of fresh water and a box of 
sawdust. The articles to be treated are dipped into the 
acid, and then thrown into the water, and finally rubbed 
with sawdust. This immediately changes them to a 
brilliant color. If the brass has become greasy, it is first 
dipped in a strong solution of potash and soda in warm 
water; this cuts the grease, so that the acid has free 
power to act. 

To Polish a Watch Wheel. 

It can be done nicely in the following manner: get a 
cork flat on the top, and put into a vise ; on it place the 
wheel, as far as the pinion will allow; 'then take a blue- 
stone and water, and grind the wheel smooth and flat, all 
the time revolving it with the left hand; wash it, and put 
it in a box with some slaked powdered lime. This is 
done simply for the purpose of drying it, and preventing 
the pinion from getting stained or rusty. Brush it out 
nice and clean, put another cork, clean and flat, in the 
vise, and pound some crocus on a stake. Some workmen 
add a little rouge, but this is simply a matter of taste. 
Take a slip of tin, about the size of a watchmaker's file, 
only thicker, file the end of one side flat and smooth, 
charge it with a little of the crocus, and polish the wheel, 
all the time rotating it with your left hand; do not cease 
until both wheel and tin polisher are almost dry, so that 
you can see the polish, when, if to your satisfaction, clean 
the wheel off with a piece of soft bread, and brush it out. 
Should it be scratched, bread them off, clean off the tin, 
and take a new supply of crocus. Cleanliness in this 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 43 

manipulation is of the greatest importance, for if there 
should be any grit about the crocus, polisher, or the 
fingers of the workman, the work will be full of scratches. 
This applies simply to bar wheels. 

To Polish Jewel Settings. 

A very good way to polish jewel settings to American 
watches on brass or gold, is as follows: First turn the 
setting down to the right thickness, or nearly so, and then 
grind down to a gray on a ground glass slab with rotten 
stone and oil; then clean off the oily rotten stone and 
polish on a boxwood lap with diamantine and oil, which 
gives a nice gloss. It will also give a nice gloss on steel, 
only use oil stone to gray steel with, instead of rotten 
stone. The operator should be particular to clean off all 
the graying powder in each case before using the box- 
wood lap, and be sure to keep the lap in a place free from 
grit or dust when not in use; brass watch wheels can be 
finished in the same way as the jewel settings by the same 
process. 

Friction Polish on Steel. 

1. After turning as smooth as possible, dress with 
rouge on a bar of pure tin, using considerable pressure 
and very little rouge, revolving in a lathe at high speed. 

2. After turning, polish with rouge and use a hardened 
steel or agate burnisher with a little oil. 

Polishing Steel. 

1. Take crocus of tin oxide, and graduate it in the 
same way as preparing diamond dust, and apply it to the 
steel by means of a piece of soft iron or bell metal, made 
in proper form, and prepared with flour of emery, same 
as for pivot burnishers; use the coarsest of the crocus 
first, and finish off with the finest. To iron or soft steel 



44 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

a better finish may be given by burnishing than can be 
imparted by the use of polishing powder of any kind what- 
ever. The German method of polishing steel is per- 
formed by the use of crocus on a buff wheel. Nothing 
can exceed the surpassing beauty imparted to, steel or even 
cast iron by this process. 

2. If the steel is of moderately good temper, use a 
zinc polisher with diamantine; a tin polisher is better for 
soft steel. The diamantine should be mixed on glass, 
using a beater, also of glass, with very little watch oil. 
Diamantine mixed with oil becomes gummy, and quite 
unfit in a day or two, and turns black, if brought into con- 
tact with metal, in mixing. 

3. To polish such parts as rollers and collets, first get 
a flat surface, by rubbing with fine emery on a glass plate 
or a bell-metal block, and afterward finish off on a zinc 
block with diamantine ; but for levers, you must use a long 
flat bell-metal or zinc polisher, and press the lever into a 
piece of soft wood (willow is the best) in the vise, moving 
the polisher instead of the work. For large articles, such 
as indexes or repeater racks, which are not solid, and 
spring, it will be found best to wax them on to a small 
brass block and polish them underhand, in the same man- 
ner as rollers. 

4. Mix 1 pound of fine colcothar in 5 pounds com- 
mon yellow vaseline. Apply with a rag or wash leather 
and rub clean. 

Removing Rust from Steel. 

For cleaning purposes, etc., kerosene oil or benzine are 
probably the best things known. When articles have 
become pitted by rust, however, these can only be re- 
moved by mechanical means, such as scouring with fine 
powder, or flour of emery and oil, or with very fine emery 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 45 

paper. To prevent steel from rusting, rub it with a mix- 
ture of lime and oil, or with mercurial ointment, either of 
which will be found valuable. 

Removing Rust from Pinions. 

The best way to remove rust from pinions is to scour 
them up with oilstone dust and oil, till a smooth surface 
is obtained, then polish with crocus. Care must be taken 
not to grind the leaves off any more than is necessary, or 
the proper shape may be destroyed. Some workmen 
soak the rusted parts in a solution of cyanide of potassium 
or other solvent of oxide of iron, but the use of such 
means cannot be approved of. The way described is as 
good as any, and is safe. If the pinions are very badly 
rusted they should be rejected and others put in, as they 
will be out of shape when finished off smooth, and would 
not perform well in the watch. 

Cleaning Files. 

Let them lie in benzine until the metals, grease, etc., 
have been thoroughly soaked and then remove them by 
scratch brushing. 

Removing Rust from Nickel. 

i. Cover the stains with olive or cocoanut oil for a 
time and then rub with aqua ammonia diluted with 
water. The oil and ammonia form a soap which readily 
washes off, bringing the rust with it. 

2. Wash the stains with dilute hydrochloric acid until 
removed, dry and polish with tripoli. 

Cleaning Nickel Plates. 

Nickel plates, must, under no circumstances, be 
brushed with chalk, but be carefully washed with soft 



46 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

water and soap, with a soft brush. Any tarnish or spots 
can be removed by dipping the plates for a few seconds 
in a solution of clean and moderately strong cyanide of 
potassium, rinse in clean water, dip in alcohol, and dry 
the work in clean boxwood sawdust. When dry, remove 
any sawdust that may remain with a camel's hair brush. 
Handle the plates with tissue paper. Carefully buff the 
plates for a finish with soft rough buff. The buff must 
be free from dust. The above must be strictly adhered 
to, in order to have good work. 

Restoring the Color of Nickel Movements. 

Take 50 parts of rectified alcohol, 1 part of sulphuric 
acid and 1 part nitric acid. Dip the pieces for about 
10 to 15 seconds in this composition, then dip them in 
cold water, and afterwards in rectified alcohol. Dry 
them with a piece of fine linen, or in sawdust. Nickel, 
and the greater part of those metals liable to tarnish, 
may be restored to their primitive color by dipping in 
the following bath: Dissolve in a half a glass of 
water, 6 or 7 grains of cyanide of potassium; plunge 
the pieces in this solution and withdraw them immedi- 
ately. As the cyanide mixes well with water, it is 
sufficient to rinse them once in the latter to destroy 
any trace of the cyanide. After this, dip the pieces 
in alcohol, and dry them in boxwood dust, in order to 
keep them from rusting. The balance, even together 
with its spring, can be subjected to this operation with- 
out any danger. If the pieces to be restored are 
greasy, they must be cleaned with benzine before being 
dipped in the cyanide, because it will not touch grease. 
Cyanide of potassium, being a violent poison, great 
care has to be exercised, and the operation should be 
performed in a well ventilated place. The same bath 
can be preserved in a bottle, and serves for a long time. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 47 

Polishing Aluminium. 

Mix equal parts of rum and olive oil, by shaking 
these liquids together in a bottle. When a burnishing 
stone is used, the peculiar black streaks first appearing 
should not cause vexation, since they do not injure the 
metal in the least, and may be removed with a woolen 
rag. The object in question may also be brightened in 
potash lye, in which case, however, care must be taken 
not to make use of too strong lye. For cleaning pur- 
poses benzole will be found best. Objects of aluminium 
can be electroplated without any difficulty, and a bright 
white luster may be imparted to them by passing them 
successively through a weak bath of hydrochloric acid and 
aquafortis. The effect obtained is quite surprising. 

Cleaning Clocks. 

If an American clock need no repairs, just cleaning, it 
is not best to take apart but proceed as follows : Procure 
a flat sash or varnish brush (new) i inch wide, and a 
square tin pan 8x8 inches, and say 2 inches deep. Wind 
up the clock and hold the movement over your tin pan, 
and with the sash brush referred to, apply common kero- 
sene oil. Remove the pallet (verge) and allow the clock 
to run down rapidly once or twice, applying freely all the 
while the oil to all the pivots, pinions, etc. This will cut 
and remove the gum on the springs and pivots. Now to 
clean off the oil, throw out the oil and use 74 degrees 
gasoline in the same manner, rinse freely with gasoline 
and allow to dry for a hour or two and your job is com- 
pleted and well done. After drying one or two hours 
you can proceed to oil the neeessary parts, but never oil 
the mainsprings. If a clock needs repairing always put 
it through this process before taking it apart, for it is then 
clean to handle. A clock can be cleaned fifty times by 



48 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

this process and never injure the lacquer. If a clock is 
not very dirty, gasoline (benzine will do) alone will answer 
without the kerosene oil. French clocks should always 
be carefully taken down, and put through the same pro- 
cess, but each piece wiped clean with chamois skin. 

Bleaching Ivory. 

Ivory that has become yellow, may easily be bleached 
in the following manner:- The article is placed under a 
glass bell, together with a small quantity of chloride of 
lime and muriatic acid, whereby chlorine is developed, 
and exposed to sunlight. Be very careful not to breathe 
the vapors, as they are very poisonous. The bleaching 
power of the chlorine destroys the yellow pigment upon 
the surface, and the article will be restored to its original 
luster. 

Cleaning Ivory Ornaments. 

Ivory ornaments are quickly cleaned by brushing them 
with a new, not very sharp, tooth brush, to which a little 
soap has been given, then rinse the ornament in lukewarm 
water; next dry it and brush a little, and continue brush- 
ing until the luster reappears, which can be increased by 
pouring a little alcohol upon the brush, and applying it to 
the object. Should this have become a little yellow, dry 
it in gentle heat, and it will appear as if new. 

Removing Stains from Watch Dials. 

To remove black or cloudy stains from porcelain 
watch dials, which are generally caused by the tin 
boxes they are shipped in, wet a piece of tissue paper in 
nitric acid and wipe the dial. This will instantly remove 
them. After applying the acid the dial should be 
immediately washed thoroughly in water and then dried 
in boxwood sawdust. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 49 

Fine Rouge. 

Dissolve sulphate of iron in hot water until no more 
will be taken up. Allow to settle and pour the clear 
liquor into a large jar, filling it only about half full. Add 
dilute oxalic acid, slowly stirring with a glass rod until 
the yellow precipitate ceases to form. Filter and dry 
the resulting precipitate; drive off the oxalic acid by 
exposure to moderate heat. The resulting ferric oxide 
will be very fine and pure. 

French Polishing - Powder. 

Mix 1 part of fine rouge with 50 parts of carbonate of 
magnesia, moisten a rag with water or alcohol, dip it into 
the powder, and rub the articles thoroughly. Dry them 
with soft leather. 

Putty Powder. 

Put pure metallic tin in a glass vessel and pour in suffi- 
cient nitric acid to cover it. Great heat is evolved with 
considerable effervescence, so that care should be taken 
that the vessel is sufficient large to prevent boiling over. 
The fumes are poisonous. When nothing is left but a 
white powder, dry at a gentle heat to drive off the free 
acid. 

Tripoli. 

A gray-white or yellowish powder, which is made 
from the shells of microscopic organisms. It is used for 
polishing soft metals, first with oil and then dry. 

Pulz Pomade. 

Oxalic acid 1 part, oxide of iron 25 parts, rotten stone 
20 parts, palm oil 60 parts, vaseline 4 parts. The oxide 
of iron may be Venetian red, or fine rouge, according to 
quality desired. All the powders must be absolutely 
free from grit. 



50 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

Pickling Solutions, 
i. Sulphuric acid i part, water 8 parts. 

2. Muriatic acid i part, water 8 parts. 

3. Sulphuric acid 1 part, nitric acid 1 part, water 2 
parts. 

4. Dilute aqua regia will remove tarnish from gold. 

5. Acetic acid 1 part, water 4 parts. Plunge the arti- 
cle into the pickle while hot if quick action is desired, 
either articles or pickle may be heated. 

Cold Black Pickle for Brass. 

All heretofore known black and gray pickles possess 
the defect that they give different colors with different 
copper alloys, while in the case of certain alloys they 
altogether refuse to act. For instance, carbonate of cop- 
per, dissolved in ammonia, gives to brass a handsome, 
dark gray color, while it does not attack various other 
alloys; but it is little suitable for instruments. A dark- 
gray pickle, which almost indiscriminately stains all copper 
alloys a handsome gray, resembling in color the costly 
platinum, is composed by dissolving 50 grams arsenic in 
250 grams hydrochloric acid, and adding to the solution 
35 grams chloride of antimony and 35 grains finely pul- 
verized hammer scales. The articles to be pickled are 
rinsed in a weak, warm soda solution, prior to, as well as 
after immersion, to be followed by continued rinsing in 
water. The recipe is simple, and has been repeatedly 
tested with uniformily good results. 

Pickle for German Silver. 

To twelve parts of water add one part of nitric acid, 
immerse the article in this, quickly remove, and place in 
a mixture of equal parts of sulphuric and nitric acids, 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BO©K. 5 1 

rinse thoroughly in water, and dry in sawdust. In all 
cases of pickling it is essential that all traces of acid be 
removed by frequent washings in clean water. 

Pickling of Metals. 

Metals are pickled for the purpose of removing the 
oxides and producing a lustrous surface. An excellent 
pickle for brass consists of 10 parts of water and i of sul- 
phuric acid. Dip into this pickle, wash, dry, and imme- 
diately dip into a second pickle consisting of 2 parts nitric 
acid and 1 of sulphuric acid and rinse thoroughly. This 
dissolves the zinc from the brass, and gives the metal a 
brilliant surface. All pickling operations with either hot 
or cold pickle should be carried on in the open air or in 
the draft of a well drawing chimney, as the vapors arising 
from the acids are very injurious. In order to retain the 
luster, a good transparent varnish should be applied. 

Pickle for Gold Alloys. 

Gold alloys, especially those containing copper, assume 
an unsightly dark brown exterior, owing to the copper 
oxide generated by the repeated glow-heating during 
work. In order to remove this, the object must be pickled, 
and either highly diluted sulphuric or nitric acid is used 
for the purpose, according to the color the article is 
designed to have. 

If working with an alloy consisting only of gold and 
copper, either sulphuric or nitric acid may be used indefi- 
nitely, since gold is not attacked by either of these acids, 
while copper oxide is easily decomposed thereby, and 
after having been pickled, the article will assume the 
color of pure gold, because its surface is covered with a 
layer of the pure metal. 

If the alloy is composed of pure gold and silver, how- 
ever, only nitric acid can be employed, and the article is 



52 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

left immersed in it only for a. short time; this acid dis- 
solves a very small portion of the silver, and the article 
also assumes the color of pure gold. 

When working with an alloy which, besides the gold, 
contains both copper and silver, the process of pickling 
may be varied in accordance with the color desired to be 
given to the article. If the pickling is performed in sul- 
phuric acid, the copper alone is dissolved, the article 
assuming a color corresponding to a gold-silver alloy, 
which now constitutes the surface of the article. 

If nitric acid is used, it will dissolve the silver as 
well as copper, and in this case a pure gold color is 
produced. 

Pickling is done by first feebly glow-heating the article 
and cooling it; this operation is for the purpose of destroy- 
ing any fat from the hands or other contamination adher- 
ing to the article. If it was soldered with some easily- 
flowing solder, this glow-heating must be omitted, but it 
may be cleansed from impurities by immersing it at first 
into very strong caustic lye, and rinsing it with water; it 
is then laid into the acid. 

The acids are employed in a dilute state, taking 40 parts 
water to 1 part concentrated sulphuric or nitric acid. 
If more articles than one, they had best be laid beside each 
other in a porcelain or stoneware dish, the diluted acid is 
poured over them, and some article is lifted out from time 
to time to watch the course of proceedings, whether it 
has assumed a yellow color. 

When to satisfaction, they are rinsed with clean water 
and dried. While pickling for the purpose only of causing 
the color peculiar to gold to appear, the process of color- 
ing has for its object to lend the appearance of very fine 
gold to an article of an indifferent alloy. Various mixtures 
may be employed for the purpose, and we give two 
receipts below which are very appropriate : 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 53 

Mix two parts saltpeter, i part table salt and 6 parts 
alum with 6^ parts water, and place in a porcelain dish 
for heating. As soon as you notice that the mixture 
begins to rise, add i part of muriatic acid, raise the whole 
to boiling and stir with a glass rod. 

The article to be colored, and previously treated with 
sulphuric acid, as specified, is suspended to a hook, either 
of sufficiently thick platinum wire or glass; it is then 
introduced into the rather slow boiling bath, and moved 
around in it. It is to be taken out in about three minutes, 
and rinsed in clean water, inspecting its color at the 
same time. If not to satisfaction, it is returned to the 
bath, and this withdrawing or reintroducing is re- 
peated until the desired color is obtained. By the latter 
immersions the article is left only one minute at a time 
in the fluid. 

When sufficiently colored, the article after rinsing, will 
be of a high yellow and mat color; it is washed repeatedly 
in water to remove the last traces of the bath, and then 
dried between soft and heated sawdust. 

In place of drying in sawdust the article may also be 
dipped in boiling water, leaving it in for a few seconds; 
the adhering water will evaporate almost instantaneously. 

The second coloring method consists in pouring water 
over a mixture of 115 parts table salt and 230 nitric acid, 
so that the salt is dissolved; it is then to be heated until 
a dry salt residue is again present. This residue is mixed 
with 172 parts fuming muriatic acid and heated to boiling, 
for which purpose a porcelain vessel is to be used. 

As soon as the pungent odor of chlorine gas begins to 
evolve, the article to be colored is immersed, and left for 
about eight minutes in the fluid for the first time ; in other 
respects, a similar treatment, as specified above, is also 
used for this method; if the article colored was polished 
previously, a subsequent polishing is unnecessary. 



54 WATCHMAKERS AND JEWELERS 

On account of the vapors evolved by the coloring baths, 
which are very dangerous to health, the operations should 
be performed either under a well-drawing flue, or what 
is still better, in open air. 

Scratch Brushing. 

Articles in relief which do not admit of the use of the 
burnisher are brightened by the aid of the scratch brush. 
The shape of the brush varies according to the article to 
be operated upon. Hand scratch brushes are sometimes 
made of spun glass, with fibres of extreme fineness and 
elasticity, and are used for scouring only very delicate 
objects. They are also made of numerous wires of hard- 
ened brass and are prepared in similar form to the glass 
brushes, except when purchased the ends of the wires are 
not cut off, the operator being expected to do so before 
using them. The object in leaving the wires connected 
being to prevent them becoming damaged. Circular 
scratch brushes, in which the wires are arranged radially, 
are used for scouring articles which will admit of their 
use. They are attached to the spindle of a polishing 
lathe, and the wires consequently all receive a uniform 
motion in the same direction. Scratch brushes are 
seldom if ever used dry, the tool and the work being- 
constantly wet with a decoction of soap-root, marsh- 
mallow, cream of tartar, alum or licorice root. With 
small articles the scratch brush is held as you would 
a pencil, and is moved over the article with a backward 
and forward motion. The brushes must be carefully 
looked after and the wires kept straight and in good 
order. If they become greasy they are cleansed in caustic 
potash, and if they become rough they are sometimes 
dipped into nitric acid. With circular brushes it is well 
to reverse them occasionally in order to change the direction 
of the wires. Dirty polishing leathers should be cleaned 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 55 

by soaking them for an hour or two in a weak solu- 
tion of soda in warm water, first rubbing the leather 
thoroughly with soap. Rinse thoroughly and wash in 
soap and water. The soap in the water will keep the 
leather soft and pliable. Dry them in a towel and rub 
thoroughly and your leathers will be much better than any 
new ones you can buy. 

Mat Brushing. 

Very excellent results are obtained by running the fine 
wire, matting brush at about 2,300 revolutions per minute, 
applying rain water or sour beer diluted with water at 
the place where the brush strikes the work; occasionally 
hold a piece of sand-paper to the brush. Should the 
points of the brush be too straight, let them strike over a 
piece of wire, but do not hook them too much, as this 
would prevent matting. Always preserve the brush in a 
good condition; should the wires become entangled or 
twist into knots, separate or cut them out. After the 
work is matted, take a soft hair brush and brush it in soap 
water, then rinse it in warm water charged with a small 
quantity of spirits of ammonia and caustic potash; immerse 
it in pure alcohol for a short time, and finally dry it in 
sawdust. 

Burnishers. 

The surface to be burnished must be free from scratches 
which the burnisher would not remove, but render more 
distinct by contrast, and the burnisher must be kept highly 
polished, for the surface burnished can never be smoother 
than the burnisher. Burnishing polished pivots with the 
glossy burnisher preserves them from wearing, Very 
little, if any, of the metal is removed by burnishing in the 
ordinary way, although watchmakers sometimes use what 
are called cutting burnishers to form pivots. The cross 



56 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

section of these burnishers matches the outline of the 
pivot it is desired to form, and they are roughened by 
rubbing on a lead block charged with coarse emery. The 
pivot is finished with a smooth burnisher of the same 
form as the cutting one. Silversmiths use burnishers of 



agate. 



Burnishing - Powder. 



A good burnishing powder is prepared from y 2 pound 
white chalk, 2 ounces pipe clay, 2 ounces white lead, y 2 
ounce magnesia carbonate, and colored with the same 
quantity of jewelers' rouge. It is said to be unrivaled 
for cleansing silver. 

Cleaning Rags. 

These rags, which are excellent for polishing metal 
surfaces, are prepared in the following manner: Dip 
flannel rags into solution of 20 parts dextrine and 30 parts 
oxalic acid in 20 parts logwood decoction, wring them 
gently, and sift over them a mixture of finely pulverized 
tripoli and pumice stone. The moist rags are piled above 
each other, placing a layer of the powder between each 
two. They are then pressed, taken apart, and dried. 

Cleaning Powder for Show Windows. 

A good cleaning powder which leaves no dirt in the 
joints, etc., is prepared by moistening calcined magnesia 
with pure benzine so that a mass is formed sufficiently 
moist to let a drop appear when pressed. The mixture 
is to be preserved in glass bottles with ground stoppers, 
in order to retain the easily volatile benzine . A little of 
the mixture, when to be used, is placed upon a lump of 
cotton and applied to the glass plate. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 57 

Cleaning Soiled Chamois Leather. 

Many workshops contain a dirty wash leather, which is 
thrown aside and wasted for want of knowing how to 
cleanse it. Make a solution of weak soda and warm 
water, rub plenty of soft soap into the leather, and allow 
it to remain in soak for two hours, then rub it well until 
quite clean. Afterward rinse it well in a weak solution 
composed of warm water, soda and yellow soap. It must 
not be rinsed in water only, for then it will be so hard, 
when dry, as to be unfit for use. It is the small quantity 
of soap left in the leather that allows it to separate and 
become soft. After rinsing, wring it well in a rough 
towel, and dry quickly, then pull it about, and brush it 
w r ell, and it will become softer and better than most new 
leathers. In using a rough leather to touch up highly 
polished surfaces, it is frequently observed to scratch the 
work; this is caused by particles of dust, and even hard 
rouge, that are left in the leather, and if removed by a 
clean brush containing rouge, it will then give the bright- 
est and best finish, which all good workmen like to see on 
their work. 

Cleaning Brushes. 

The best method of cleansing watchmakers' and jew^- 
elers' brushed, is to wash them out in a strong soda water. 
When the backs are wood, you must favor that part as 
much as possible, for being glued the water may injure 
them. 

Composition Files. 

These files, which are frequently used by watchmakers 
and other metal workers, for grinding and polishing, and 
the color of which resembles silver, are composed of 8 
parts copper, 2 parts tin, 1 part zinc, 1 part lead. They 



5$ watchmakers' and jewelers' 

are cast in forms and treated upon the grindstone; the 
metal is very hard, and therefore worked with difficulty 
with the file. 

To Prepare Chalk. 

Pulverize the chalk thoroughly and then mix it with 
clean rain water, in proportions of two pounds to the gal- 
lon. Stir well, and then let it stand about two minutes. 
In this time the gritty matter will have settled to the bot- 
tom. Slowly pour the water into another vessel, so as 
not to stir up the sediment. Let stand until entirely set- 
tled, and then pour off as before. The settlings in the 
second vessel will be prepared chalk, ready for use as 
soon as dried. Spanish whiting, treated in the same way, 
makes a very good cleaning or polishing powder. Some 
watchmakers add a little crocus, and we think it an 
improvement; it gives the powder a nice color, at least, 
and therefore adds to its importance in the eyes of the 
uninitiated. 

Diamantine. 

Diamantine consists of crystalized boron, the basis of 
borax. By melting ioo parts boric acid and 80 parts 
aluminium, crystals are obtained, the so-called bort, which 
even attacks diamond. Diamantine bought in commerce 
is less hard. 

Vienna Lime. 

A pure, anhydrous lime, obtained from Vienna. It is 
extensively used for final polishing purposes, particularly 
in watch factories. It differs from most polishing sub- 
stances in that the effect is not produced by simple abra- 
sion, for unless this lime is used while it is slacking, the 
result will be unsatisfactory. It is kept in tightly corked 
bottles and no more than is wanted taken out at one 
time. Take a small lump from the bottle, crush, mix to 
a paste and rub on the article with a boxwood slip, using 
quick strokes. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 59 



SOLDERS AND SOLDERING. 



Soldering. 

Soldering is the act of joining two metallic surfaces by 
means of a more fusible metal or metallic cement. Solders 
are commonly divided into two groups known as hard 
solders and soft solders; the former fuse only *at a red 
heat, while the latter fuse at low degrees of heat. In 
hard soldering it is frequently necessary to bind the parts 
to be soldered together with what is known as binding 
wire, which is made of soft iron, repair clamps or solder- 
ing forceps. The blowpipe is used most extensively for 
soldering, although small soldering irons are used on the 
larger kinds of work. It is of the utmost importance that 
the meeting edges of all articles to be soldered be scraped 
or chemically cleaned. While soldering, articles are 
usually placed upon a piece of charcoal, though asbestos 
or pumice stone is better for the purpose. Charcoal emits 
gases from the coal while under the blowpipe which enter 
into the alloy of gold or silver and render it brittle. To 
prove this, reduce a small piece of iok gold to a liquid 
form on a piece of charcoal, and treat a piece simialrly on 
a piece of asbestos or pumice stone, and after allowing 
each to cool, subject both to a heavy pressure and note 
the difference in their malleability and ductility. 

Soldering Forceps or Repair Clamps. 

By the use of these devices any article to be repaired 
can be adjusted in any desired position in a much shorter 
time, and with more accuracy than by the ordinary process 



6o 



watchmakers' and jewelers' 



of binding with wire to a piece of charcoal. They are so 
constructed that any two pieces can be as readily brought 
together as can be done with the fingers, no matter at 
what angle or position you may desire them. Each part 
works independent of the other, and the whole is held 
securely in place by means of nuts, as shown, and both 
hands being free, charcoal can be held behind the article, 




thereby concentrating the heat, the same as when held 
directly upon it. In soft soldering it can be used to great 
advantage. 

The forceps revolve in parts, which are fastened to 
arms, by means of a hinge joint. The arms run through 
the collars, so that they can be lengthened or shortened, 
and the forceps raised or lowered as desired. The collars 
turn independently of each other on base, and being split 
the whole is held firmly in position by nuts. 

Gold Solders. 

Gold solders should approach the articles to be soldered 
in both color and fusibility as nearly as possible. The 
following gold solders are in general use : 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 



6l 



Hard solder for 750 fine 

Soft solder for 750 fine. 

Solder for 5S3 fine. 

Solder for less than 583 fine.. 

Readily fusible solder 

Solder for yellow gold 



Parts Gold. 


Parts 
Silver. 


Parts 
Copper. 


90 


2.0 


I.O 


I2.0 


7.0 


3-o 


30 


2.0 


I.O 


2.0 


2.0 




II 94 


54-74 


2S.17 


10.0 


5° 





Parts Zinc. 



5.OI 
I.O 



To Solder Enameled Jewelry. 

If the enamel is good, hard enamel, heating to melt the 
hard solder will not affect it much. The trouble usually 
is that the article is thrown when nearly red hot into the 
pickle. Enameled articles should be allowed to cool and 
then boiled in a copper dish with sulphuric acid, 1 part; 
water, 5 parts. 

Enamel Solders. 

1. Copper 25 parts, silver 7 parts, gold 68 parts. 

2. Silver 18 parts, gold 74 parts. 

The above solders are very refractory, and are used 
for work that is to be subsequently enameled. 

To Preserve the Color of Gold. 

To preserve the color of gold while soldering is very 
important. One ounce of yellow ochre mixed with borax 
water to the consistency of cream, and applied ■ to the 
article before heating will overcome the difficulty. After 
heating boil out as usual. 

To Prevent Discoloring of Silver. 

A paste of whiting and water, dried on the bright parts 
of silver, will prevent oxidation while soldering. Care 
should be taken to keep the paste from touching the parts 
that have been cleaned for the solder. 



62 



WATCHMAKERS AND JEWELERS 



Silver Solders. 

The following hard silver solders have been thoroughly 
tested : 





Parts Fine 
Silver. 


Parts 
Copper. 


Parts Brass. 


Parts Zinc. 


First - 


4 

2 

l 9 

57 


I 
2S.6 


3 

I 

IO 




Second ... 




Third 


5 


Fourth 


14.3 







Yellow Solder for Brass. 

1. Copper 1 part, zinc 1 part. 

2. Copper 32 parts, zinc 29 parts, tin 1 part. 

3. Zinc 3 parts, copper 2 parts. 

To Solder a Stay Spring. 
Stay or lifting springs are often broken, and the watch- 
maker has frequently none of the right size nor the time 
to make a new one. In such a predicament he can mend 
the old one and have it just as good as new, by placing 
the broken parts together and binding them firmly 
to a piece of coal, then soldering them with 18-karat 
gold. It requires a strong heat and plenty of borax; 
then finish off, nicely harden and temper in the usual 

manner. 

To Solder Broken Broaches. 

Steel broaches and other tools are soldered by cleaning 
well the parts broken, then dipping them into a solution 
of sulphate of copper, and soldering them with ordinary 
soft solder. The joint is a good one and will stand 
ordinary hard wear. 

Solder for Aluminium. 
The following alloys are recommended for the pur- 
pose: 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 63 

i. Melt 20 parts of aluminium in a suitable crucible, 
and when in fusion add 80 parts zinc. When the mix- 
ture is melted, cover the surface with some tallow, and 
maintain in quiet fusion for some time, stirring occa- 
sionally with an iron rod; then pour into moulds. 

2. Take 15 parts of aluminum and 85 parts zinc, or 12 
parts of the former and 88 parts of the latter, or 8 parts 
of the former and 92 parts of the latter; prepare all of 
them as specified for No. 1. The flux recommended 
consists of three parts balsam copaiba, one of Venetian 
turpentine, and a few drops of lemon juice. The solder- 
ing iron is dipped into this mixture. 

To Solder German Silver. 
Dissolve granulated zinc in muriatic acid in ah earthen 
vessel. Cleanse the parts to be soldered and apply the 
acid. Next put a piece of pewter solder on the, joint and 
apply the blowpipe to it. Melt German silver one part, 
and zinc in thin sheets four parts; then powder it for 
solder. 

Soldering Stone Set Rings. 

There are various ways for doing this, but the follow- 
ing will be found to be as good as any : Take tissue paper 
and tear it into strips about three inches wide, twist them 
into ropes, and then make them very wet and wrap the 
stone with them, passing around the stone and through 
the ring until the center of the ring is a little more than 
half full of paper, always winding very close, and then 
fasten upon charcoal, allowing the stone to project over 
the edge of the charcoal, and solder very quickly. The 
paper will prevent oxidation upon the part of the ring it 
covers, as well as protect the stone. 

Soft-Soldering Articles. 

Moisten the parts to be united with soldering fluid; 
then, having joined them together, lay a small piece of 



64 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

solder upon the joint, and hold over your lamp, or direct 
the blaze upon it with your blowpipe until fusion is appar- 
ent. Withdraw them from the blaze immediately, since 
too much heat will render the solder brittle and unsatis- 
factory. When the parts to be joined can be made to 
spring or press against each other, it is best to place a 
thin piece of solder between them before exposing to the 
lamp. Where two smooth surfaces are to be soldered 
one upon the other, you may make an excellent job by 
moistening them with the fluid, and then, having placed a 
sheet of tin foil between them holding them pressed firmly 
together over your lamp till the foil melts. If the surface 
is fitted nicely, a joint may be made in this way so close 
as to be almost imperceptible. The bright looking lead, 
which comes as a lining of tea boxes, is better than tin foil. 

To Dissolve Soft Solder. 

Nitric acid may be used safely for gold not lower than 
12 karat and is very effective. The following is suitable 
for all grades of gold and silver: Green copperas 2 ounces, 
saltpeter 10 ounces, reduced to a powder and boiled in 10 
ounces of water. It will become crystalized on cooling. 
Dissolve these crystals by the addition of 8 parts of spirits 
of salts to each part of crystals, using an earthenware 
vessel. Add 4 parts of boiling water, keep the mixture 
hot, and immerse the article to be operated upon, and the 
solder will be entirely removed without injuring the work. 

Soft Solder. 

The soft solder most frequently used consists of 2 parts 
of tin and 1 of lead. The following table gives the com- 
position of various soft solders with the respective melt- 
ing points: 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 



65 



Number. 


Parts Tin 


Parts 

Lead. 


Melts at 
Degrees F. 


Number. 


Parts Tin. 


Parts 
Lead. 


Melts at 
Deg. F. 


I 




25 


558° 


7 


1% 




334° 


2 




IO 


541 


8 


2 




34° 


3 




5 


5 11 


9 


3 




356 


4 




3 


482 


10 


4 




365 


5 




2 


441 


11 


5 




37S 


6 




1 


37 


12 


6 




380 



Hard Solders. 

Under this name very different alloys are used, depend- 
ing upon the metals to be united. The following table 
shows the composition of various hard solders which have 
stood a practical test for various purposes: 



Refractory 

Readily Fusible 
Half White ... 

White 

Very Ductile.. 



Part Brass. Parts Zinc. Parts Tin. 



400 

5 °o 
12.00 
40 00 

78.00 



l.OO 

4 00 
5.00 
2.00 

17-25 



1. 00 
800 



To Make Wire Solder. 

Melt the solder and pour into a vessel having a very 
small opening, over a pail of water. The molten metals 
will run through the hole into the water, solidfying as the}^ 
pass. The vessel should be hot enough to avoid chilling 
solder until after it leaves the hole. 

Soldering Fluxes. 

For hard solder use borax rubbed to a paste with water 
on a slate. For soft soldering dissolve a small piece of 
zinc in pure hydrochloric acid until effervescence ceases. 
Take out the undissolved zinc after twenty-four hours, 
filter the solution, add ^ its volume of spirits of sal am- 
moniac and dilute with rain water. This fluid is non- 
corrosive. 



66 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

Jewelers' Soldering Fluid. 

Add to alcohol as much chloride of zinc as it will dis- 
solve. Apply with a stick or medicine dropper. 

Non-Corrosive Soldering Fluid. 

A non-corrosive soldering fluid is prepared in the fol- 
lowing manner: Small pieces of zinc are immersed into 
muriatic acid to saturation, which can be known by the 
cessation of the ebullition ; the zinc, also, being added 
after this point, remains undissolved; add about one-third 
the volume of spirits of ammonia, and dilute with a like 
quantity of rain water. If the acid is gently heated at the 
time of adding the zinc, the dissolving will progress much 
more rapidly. This fluid causes no rust on iron or steel, 
and is even excellent for tinning. 

Etching. 

Etching is accomplished by eating away certain portions 
of the surface of the metal by acids, while the balance is 
protected by a coating of wax or other substance imper- 
vious to acids. It may be done in relief or intaglio, 
according as the design is required; in relief, by etching 
the back ground and leaving the higher portions bright; 
or in intaglio, by covering the plate with a coating of 
wax or special ink and drawing or scratching the design 
upon the metal by means of variously shaped points called 
etching needles. In the latter case, the points are handled 
much like a lead pencil, care being taken to always cut 
through the wax. The work may be left the original 
color of the metal, with a mat surface, or it may be colored 
to throw the design in relief by using any of the well- 
known oxidizing solutions before removing the wax. 

For single pieces slightly warm the article to be etched 
and draw the design on the metal with a steel pen and 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 67 

asphaltum or a pointed stick of wax, then plunge in the 
acid or lay the acid on the design with a camel hair 
pencil, as is most convenient, repeating the applications 
until the work is etched sufficiently deep, then wash in 
water and remove the wax with turpentine, benzine or 
alcohol. 

Where large quantities of work are to be done, such 
as spoons, trade marks on steel goods, etc., a rubber 




or composition stamp is made, having the design made 
so that the parts to be bitten by the acid shall be 
depressed in the stamp as shown in the illustration. 
These stamps are easily made as follows: Sketch the 
design or word upon a piece of paper and when satisfac- 
tory draw it upon the inside of the bowl of the spoon with 
plaster of paris. Mix the plaster to a consistency of cream, 
and apply it by means of a small camel's hair brush or by 
means of a very small syringe. The plaster should be 
laid on rather heavily, in order that the depressions in the 
stamp shall be sufficientlv deep. After drawing is com- 
pleted and thoroughly hardened, oil it, and the bowl of the 
spoon with olive oil, applying with a small brush. Procure 
a small piece of composition such as printer's rollers are 
made from, (a mixture of glycerine, glue and molasses), 
heat it over a water bath until quite liquid and then pour 
into the bowl of the spoon. Put away until thoroughly 
cool. This composition pad can then be removed, glued 
to a wooden handle, such as are used for rubber stamps 



6S watchmakers' and jewelers' 

and you are ready to do the printing on any number of 
spoons. The receipt for stamp ink will be found else- 
where. If all the operations have been performed prop- 
erly you will have a stamp similar to the illustration, in 
which the name " Aurora " appears in white, the letters 
being countersunk in the face of the stamp. With a small 
roller or pad distribute your stamp ink thoroughly upon 
the surface of a small ' piece of glass, apply your stamp 
to the glass, thoroughly inking it by rolling back and 
forth and then apply to the bowl of the spoon. The 
result will be that the entire bowl of the spoon is covered 
with the ink except the word " Aurora," which is left 
white where the silver is exposed. You are now ready 
to proceed with your etching. If your stamp has good 
depth, the composition is of the proper consistency and 
the ink well distributed, the lettering will need no touch- 
ing up by hand, if it should, however, it may easily be 
done by means of a fine pointed brush and asphaltum. 
This stamp is used with a suitable ink or wax to transfer 
the design to the goods and the work proceeded with as 




before. In the first illustration shown, the words "Bridge- 
port, Conn.," are bright, and in relief, the letters being 
the only part touching the wax; while in the second, 
the word " Aurora," was the only part not touched 
by the wax, and consequently it is etched in intaglio and 
the bowl is left bright. Almost any of the dilute acids 
may be used that will attack the metal to be acted upon, 
but a number of fluids are given here. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 69 

Grounds for Etching, 

1. White wax, 30 parts; gum mastic, 30 parts; 
asphaltum, 15 parts. 

2. White wax, 30 parts: gum mastic, 15 parts; 
asphaltum, 15 parts. 

3. White wax, 60 parts; gum mastic, 30 parts; 
asphaltum, 60 parts. 

4. White wax, 3 parts; block pitch, 1 part; asphaltum, 
4 parts; resin, 1 part. 

5. Soft linseed oil, 4 oz.; white wax and gum benzoin, 
each Yz oz. ; boil to two-thirds. 

Etching Fluids for Brass. 

1. Dissolve 6 parts chlorate of potash, 100 parts water, 
add 160 parts water to 16 of fuming nitric acid; mix the 
two solutions. 

2. One part sulphuric acid, 8 parts water. 

3. One part nitric acid, 8 parts water. 

4. Nitric or sulphuric acid 1 part, saturated solution of 
bichromate of potash 2 parts, water 5 parts. 

Etching on Copper. 

1. Fuming hydrochloric acid, 10 parts; water 70 
parts; add a boiling solution of potassium chlorate and 
dilute. 

2. Acetic acid 8 ounces; ammonium chloride, 60 gram ; 
sodium chloride, 60 gram; pure verdigris, 40 gram; 
powder the solids and boil in the acid until dissolved. 

3. Nitrous acid, 1 ounce; silver acetate, 3 drams; 
nitric ether, 8 ounces. 



70 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

Etching Fluids for Silver. 

Use any of the fluids for brass and copper, any of the 
oxidizing solutions given elsewhere, or any of the dilute 
acids that will attack silver. Care must be taken in stop- 
ping out the silver not to be etched, in order that the acids 
may not creep under and destroy the sharpness and 
beauty of the work. 

Etching Fluids for Ivory. 

i. Use dilute sulphuric and hydrochloric acids, mixed. 

2. Cover the ivory to be etched with a thin coating 
of bees wax, then trace the figure you desire to present 
through the wax. Pour over it a strong solution of nitrate 
of silver. Let remain a sufficient length of time, then 
remove it, with the wax, by washing in warm water. 
The design will be left in dark lines on the ivory. 

Etched Signs for Jewelers. 

Any jeweler can make extremely elegant signs by 
taking sheet brass or copper, painting the parts not to be 
etched with asphaltum or any of the other grounds and 
etching as deeply as may be required. If a number of 
signs are to be made, paint the backs of the sheets also 
and plunge them in a wooden trough filled with the etch- 
ing solution. A very effective design is made by leaving 
the letters and borders bright, etching quite deeply and 
then finishing with the green bronzing solution given 
elsewhere. Remove the asphaltum by wiping with a 
rag moistened with turpentine, clean thoroughly and 
lacquer. Or the letters only may be etched, and after- 
wards filled in with black or colored pigments, finishing 
with lacquer. An ingenious and tasty jeweler can thus 
secure an infinite variety of extremely elegant and ser- 
viceable signs at a very small expense, beside utilizing his 
leisure moments in a very interesting and fascinating way. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 7 1 

Engravers' Border Wax. 

Beeswax, i part; pitch, 2 parts, tallow, 1 part, mix. 

Stamp Ink. 

Melt y^ lb. resin, add 1 teaspoonful of lard oil, stir in a 
tablespoonful of lamp black and throughly mix; thin with 
turpentine to make it of the consistency of printer's ink 
when cold.' 

Wax for Steel. 

Melt equal parts burgundy pitch, asphaltum and bees- 
wax, stirring constantly until thoroughly incorporated, 
apply with a dabber or ball of cotton covered with silk, hav- 
ing first warmed the article so that the stick of the wax will 
readily melt by touching. Rub on the wax in the stick 
and spread evenly with the dabber. 



72 watchmakers' and jewelers' 



HARDENING, ANNEALING AND 
TEMPERING. 



Hardening. 

Gold, silver, copper and brass are hardened by healing 
and allowing to cool slowly; also by beating, burnishing, 
etc. Steel is hardened by beating, also by heating to a 
cherry red and then cooling quickly, by plunging in water 
or some one of the numerous hardening mixtures. 

The recipes here given are from various sources, and 
the reader must adopt the one which he finds on trial, is 
the best adapted to his wants. 

In all cases the object should be heated to a red heat 
before plunging. If an object to be hardened is long and 
slender, it should invariably be inserted in the hardening 
compound endwise, otherwise it will come out warped 
and distorted. The same rule applies to thin or flat 
objects. A preparation is used in hardening, consisting 
of one teaspoonful of wheat flour, two of salt and four 
of water. The steel to be hardened is to be heated 
sufficiently, dipped into the mixture to be coated there- 
with, then raised to a red glow, and dropped into cold 
soft water. Another method is to raise the object to the 
required heat and then drop it into a mixture of ten parts 
mutton suet, two parts sal-ammoniac, five parts resin and 
thirty-five parts olive oil. Oil, tallow, beeswax, and resin 
are also employed for hardening. If an intense brittle 
hardness is desirable drop the object into mercury or 
nitric acid. In heating very small or thin objects, they 
should be placed between two thin pieces of charcoal and 
the whole brought to the required heat. In this way you 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 73 

avoid uneven heating and hence it will be uniformly tem- 
pered. When it is desirable to harden an article without 
discoloring its surface, it should be placed in a metal tube 
or bowl of a clay pipe, and surrounded with charcoal 
that has been previously heated to expel all moisture, and 
when raised to the proper heat the whole should be 
immersed in the hardening liquid. 

To Harden Steel in Petroleum. 

According to B. Morgossy, the articles to be hardened 
are first heated in a charcoal fire, and, after thoroughly 
rubbing with ordinary washing soap, heated to a cherry 
red. In this condition they are plunged into petroleum; 
ignition of the petroleum need not be feared if no flame 
is near at hand. Articles hardened by this method show 
no cracks, do not wrap if plunged endwise, and after 
hardening remain nearly white, so they can be blued 
without further preparation. 

Hardening Liquids. 

If water is used for hardening, 32 F. will be found 
about right for the sized articles hardened by watch- 
makers and if the article is very small, ice may be added 
to the water. A solution composed of one quart of water, 
1% lbs. of sal-ammoniac, 10 oz. of refined borax, 
1% ozs. of red wine, is used extensively for fine 
cutlery. A mixture of 1 lb. of resin, 3 ozs. of lard, }i lb. 
train oil and y 2 oz. of assafoetida is said to be excellent 
for fine steel work. 

Combined Hardening and Tempering. 

M. Caron, with a view to combining the two opera- 
tions of hardening and tempering, suggested that the 
temperature of the water used for hardening, be heated 



74 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

to a pre-determined degree. Thus the requisite temper 
may be given to gun-lock springs by heating the water 
in which they are hardened to 55° C, or 130 F. 

Annealing - . 

Gold, silver, copper and brass are annealed by heating 
them to a red heat and then plunging in water. Iron 
and steel are annealed by heating to a red heat and 
allowing to cool slowly, either in the open air or in various 
mixtures, some of which are given herewith. There are 
nearly as many methods of annealing as there are work- 
men. The commonest methods are as follows: Heat to 
a dull red, bury in warm iron filings or ashes, and allow- 
ing the article to cool very gradually. Another method 
is to heat the piece as slowly as possible, and when at a 
low red heat put it between two pieces of dry board and 
screw them up tightly in a vice. The. steel burns its 
way into the wood, and on coming together around it 
they form a practically air-tight charcoal bed. Brannt 
gives the following method which he says will make 
steel so soft that it can be worked like copper: Pulver- 
ize beef bones, mix them with equal parts of loam and 
calves' hair and stir the mixture into a thick paste with 
water. Apply a coat of this to the steel and place it in 
a crucible, cover this with another, fasten the two 
together with wire and close the joint hermetically with 
clay. Then put the crucible in the fire and heat slowly. 
When taken from the fire let it cool by placing it in ashes. 
On opening the crucible the steel will be found so soft 
that it can be engraved like copper. 

To Anneal Small Steel Pieces. 

Place the articles from which you desire to draw the 
temper into a common iron clock key. Fill around it 
with brass or iron filings, and then plug up the open end 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 75 

with a steel, iron or brass plug, made to fit closely. Take 
the handle of the key with your plyers and hold its 
pipe into the blaze of a lamp till red hot, then let it cool 
gradually. When sufficiently cold to handle, remove the 
plug, and you will find the article with its temper fully 
drawn, but in all other respects just as it was before. 
The reason for having the article thus plugged up while 
passing it through the heating and cooling process is, that 
springing always results from the action of changeable 
currents of atmosphere. The temper may be drawn 
from cylinders, staffs, pinions, or any other delicate pieces 
by this mode with perfect safety. 

To Soften a Spring. 

A spring may be laid flat and its temper drawn between 
two plates fastened together by a screw through the center, 
and placed upon the annealing plate. A small piece of 
whitened steel is laid upon it, to enable the operator to 
judge of the degree of heat. Before opening, let it cool. 
When drawing the temper lay the coils farther apart. 

. To Soften Steel. 

Heat it brown-red, and plunge it in soft water; river 
water is best. Do not heat over red-brown, however, 
else it becomes hard when plunged. But if you plunge 
it as soon as it turns red, the steel will be soft enough to 
cut with ease. 

To Anneal Hardened Steel. 

It may sometimes happen, that hardened steel parts 
require a few finishing touches, which can not be done 
because they are too hard and their polish would be ruined 
by annealing them, because it turns blue, and the piece 
then requires renewed polish, which consumes a great 
deal of time. The most practical way then is to cover 



76 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

the steel part with the oily dirt from the oil-stone, after 
which it can be annealed with impunity, that is, the flame 
is, with the blow-pipe, directed to the point required. The 
article is afterward cleansed in benzine. 

To Anneal a Staff or Pinion. 

It 7 sometimes becomes necessary to anneal a staff or 
pinion, in which you wish to insert a pivot, without re- 
moving it from the wheel. To do this place the whole 
part or end of the staff or pinion in a pin-vise or slide- 
tongs, which, of course, is cold; now pierce the top of a 
brass thimble, so that the end to be drilled will go in snug; 
then, with a blowpipe and small spirit lamp throw as 
much heat as you wish on the article to be drilled, by 
blowing directly into the thimble, without in the least 
heating the wheel. 

Tempering. 

Before tempering, the surface of the object must be 
thoroughly cleaned and freed from grease by the applica- 
tion of oilstone dust, emery, or some like scouring agent. 
The object should not be handled with the ringers after 
cleaning,.or it will be difficult to obtain the requisite tint. 

After letting an object down to the required color it 
should be allowed to cool gradually, and no artificial 
means employed to hasten the cooling. A piece of steel 
may be let down to the same color several times without 
in any way injuring it or altering its properties. Temper- 
ing of small articles is performed satisfactorily by means 
of the bluing pan. Small articles are also tempered by 
placing them in a vessel, say a large spoon, covering them 
with oil and heating them to the requisite degree. This 
is a favored method of tempering balance staffs and 
similiar articles. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 



77 



The following table by Stodart will be valuable to the 
student: 



4. 

5 

6 

7 
8 

9 
io 



H 
'5 
16 

i7 
iS 

i9 
20 



430° 


F. 


450° 


F. 


47o u 


F. 


49°° 


F. 


500 


F. 


520 


F. 


S3o° 


F. 


550° 


F. 


57o° 


F. 


59°° 


F. 


6io° 


F. 


630 


F. 


980 


F. 


1290 


F. 


1470 


F. 


16^0° 


F. 


183c 


F. 


2010 


F. 


2190 


F. 


2370 


F. 


2550 


F. 



Very Pale Straw Yellow... 
A Shade Darker Yellow... 

Darker Straw Yellow. 

Still Darker Straw Yellow. 

Brown Yellow 

Yellow tinged with Purple 

Light Purple 

Dark Purple 

Dark Blue 

Paler Blue 

Still Paler Blue 

Light Bluish Green 

Incipient Red 

Dull Red 

Incipient Cherry Red 

Cherry Red 

Clear Cherry Red 

Deep Orange .. 

Clear Orange 

White 

Bright White 



220 C. 
235° C. 
245 C. 
255 C. 
260 C. 
270 c. 
275 c 

290 c 
300 c 



310^ 

32o< 
33 < c 
5^5 C 
7oo c 
Soo c 
900 c 
iooo c 
noo c 

I200 c 

i3oo c 
1400* 



The temper is usually judged by the color of the 
smoke; Saunier gives the following rule: When smoke 
is first seen. to rise the temper is dark yellow, (or No. 
2). Smoke more abundant and darker, (No. 5). Black 
smoke still thicker, (No. 7). Oil takes fire when lighted 
paper is presented to it at No. 9. After this the oil takes 
fire of itself and continues to burn. If the whole of the 
oil is allowed to burn away No. 12 is reached. 



Bluing Pan. 

A pan used for bluing screws and other small articles. 
It is sometimes very desirable to match the color of screw 
heads in a watch. By making the following described 
simple little tool you can very readily color your screws 
straw, purple or blue as the case may require, to match 
the other screw in the watch. Select a very large main- 
spring barrel, drill a hole in the side of the barrel the size 
of an ordinary pendulum rod for an American clock, cut 



78 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

a thread in this hole and also on the piece of wire and 
screw it firmly into the mainspring barrel, cutting off 
about four or five inches long, to which attach a neat 
piece of wood to serve as a handle. Now take out the 
head, and fill the barrel full of fine marble dust or brass 
or iron fillings and replace the head in the barrel, after 
which drill any number and size of holes in the barrel you 
wish, to accommodate all sizes of watch screws, and the 




tool is ready for use. Bluing pans similar to the one 
shown, can be purchased from material dealers and are 
similar to the one described. After fitting the screw to 
the proper place in the watch, harden and temper in the 
usual manner. Polish out all scratches or other marks 
and selecting a hole in the tool to fit the screw loosely, 
press it down level with the face of the barrel and hold 
the tool over a small alcohol lamp flame until the color 
desired appears. Heat up slowly and the effect will be 
much better than if it is done rapidly. First blue the 
screws without any special regard as to uniformity of 
color. Should they prove to be imperfect, take a piece 
of clean pith and whiten the surface with rouge, without 
letting it be too dry. Pieces when thus prepared, if 
cleaned and blued with care, will assume a very uniform 
tint. 

Soft screws are sometimes very difficult to blue evenly, 
but this difficulty may be overcome by finishing them with 
a slightly soapy burnisher. Pieces that are not flat will 
rarely assume an even color when placed in a flat pan. 
To overcome this difficulty, sprinkle the bottom of the 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 79 

pan with fine brass filings or marble dust and press the 
article into it- The bluing pan or shovel should be 
thoroughly warmed before the articles are placed in it, 
in order that any moisture present may be dispersed. 
The pan will also be found useful for tempering small 
steel articles by boiling them in oil. 

To Temper Small Steel Articles. 

The tempering of small drills, for drilling holes in 
arbors, staffs, etc., which we find are very hard and diffi- 
cult to perforate, may be effected in the following manner: 
After having filed the drill to its proper size (being care- 
ful not to flatten the cutting 'face), you then warm it mod- 
erately, not allowing it to become red, and run it into 
borax. The drill is thus coated over with a crust of borax 
and secluded from the air. Now it may be hardened by 
heating it only cherry red; after this it is inserted into a 
piece of borax, or what is better still, plunged it into mer- 
cury; taking care not to breathe the mercury fumes. 
Drills prepared in this way, without being brittle, will 
become exceedingly hard and the watchmaker will be 
enabled to drill articles which could not otherwise be per- 
forated with a drill. Do not use broken broaches to 
make your drills as the steel in them is often burned, ren- 
dering the metal unfit for use in small tools. In order to 
make the quality of your drill a certainty, always take a 
new piece of round steel for the purpose. 

Tempering Magnets. 
M. Ducoetet uses the following process for tempering 
and magnetizing steel to be used as magnets. Two soft 
iron pole pieces are placed in the bottom of a water tight 
vessel and are connected with the poles of a powerful 
electro-magnet. The vessel is partially filled with water, 
and oil is poured into the vessel, which floats upon the 



80 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

surface of the water. The red hot bar is then passed 
through the liquids and comes in contact with the mag- 
nets. This softens the steel without depriving it of its 
power of being magnetized. 

To Temper Drills. 

Select none but the finest and best steel for your drills. 
In making them, never heat higher than a cherry red, 
and always hammer till nearly cold. Do all your ham- 
mering in one way, for if, after you have flattened out 
your piece, you attempt to hammer it back to a square or 
round, you will ruin it. When your drill is in proper 
shape, heat it to a cherr}^ red and thrust it into a piece of. 
resin or into mercury. Some use a solution of cyanuret 
of potassia and rain water for tempering their drills, but 
the resin or mercury will give better results. 

To Bend Tempered Steel. 

It very frequently happens to the repairer that he desires 
to bend a spring, but fearing the risk of breaking it, 
abandons the idea. In such a case the following hint may 
be useful: Suppose it is desirable to bend a side click 
spring of a Swiss bridge watch, which, by the way, is 
generally made of poor steel. Lay hold of the end in 
which the screw goes with a pair of brass-nosed sliding 
tongs, holding it in the left hand; then press a piece of 
brass against the click, bending it in the direction desired, 
and, at the same time, holding it over the flame of a spirit 
lamp until the center or spring part becomes a straw or 
dark red color. This will have the desired effect. The 
fact that spring-tempered steel is brought to a dark red 
blue twenty times over, will not reduce it below its former 
temper; on the contrary, it will tend to equalize and 
improve the temper and render it less liable to break. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. Si 

Again, suppose a cylinder pivot, or any pivot, on any of 
the escapement parts are bent and you wish to straighten it 
by this process : Take a small brass bushing-, tit it to the 
pivot and hold over the flame of the lamp, bending it at 
the same time in the desired direction. 



82 watchmakers' and jewelers' 



RECOVERY AND REFINING 
OF WASTE. 



Refining Sweepings. 

The sweepings of the workshop contain quite a quantity 
of gold and silver. To 8 ozs. of the dirt, which has been 
washed and burnt, add salt, 4 ozs.; pearl ash, 4 ozs.; red 
tartar, 1 oz. ; saltpeter, y 2 oz. ; mix thoroughly in a mortar, 
melt in a crucible and dissolve out the precious metals in 
a button. 

To Recover Gold from Mixed Metals. 

Gold should dissolve in a mixture of 1 part nitric and 
3 parts of hydrochloric acid. Both should be chemically 
pure. The residue left after digestion is silver. With- 
draw the clear solution and add to it a little sulphuric 
acid; if any precipitate falls, it is probably lead. Then 
the gold may be precipitated by any of the reagents and 
recovered by fusing in the ordinary manner. Afterwards 
dissolve the silver by treatment with nitric acid and pre- 
cipitate it, wash dry and fuse. The residues may be 
thrown away after the recovery of the gold and silver. 

To Separate Gold from Silver. 

The alloy is to be melted and poured from a height into 
a vessel of cold water, to which a rotary motion is 
imparted. By this means the alloy is reduced to a finely 
granular condition. The metallic substance is then treated 
with nitric acid, and gently heated. Nitrate of silver is 
produced, which can be reduced by any of the known 
methods; while metallic gold remains as a black mud, 
which must be washed and smelted. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 83, 

Melting Gold. 

In melting gold use none other than a charcoal firev 
and during the process sprinkle saltpeter and potash into 
the crucible occasionally. Do not attempt to melt with 
stone coal, as it renders the metal brittle and otherwise 
imperfect. 

In melting brass alloyed gold, urge the fire to a great 
heat and stir the metal with the long stem of a tobacco 
pipe, to prevent honeycombing. If steel or iron filings get 
into gold while melting, throw in a piece of sandiver the 
size of a common nut; it will attract the iron or steel from 
the gold into the flux, or, sublimate of mercury will 
destroy the iron or steel. To cause gold to roll well, melt 
with a good heat, add a tablespoonful of sal ammoniac and 
charcoal, equal quantities, both pulverized, stir up well, 
put on the cover for two minutes, and pour. 

Fusing Gold Dust. 

Use such a crucible as is generally used for melting: 
brass; heat very hot, then add your gold dust mixed with 
powdered borax. After a while a scum or slag will rise 
to the surface, which may be thickened by the addition of 
a little lime or bone ash. If the dust contains any of the 
more oxidizable metals, add a little saltpeter, skim off the : 
slag or scum very carefully; when melted grasp the cru- 
cible with strong iron tongs, and pour immediately into 
cast iron molds, slightly greased. The slag and crucible 
may be pulverized, and the auriferous matter recovered 
by cupellating by means of lead. 

To Refine Gold. 

If you desire to refine gold from the baser metals,, 
swedge or roll it out very thin, then cut into narrow strips 
and curl up so as to prevent its lying flatly. , Drop the 



$4 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

piece thus prepared into a vessel containing good nitric 
acid, in the proportion of acid, 2 ounces, and pure rain 
water y 2 ounce. Suffer to remain until thoroughly dis- 
solved which will be the case in from one-half to one 
hour. Then pour off the liquid carefully, and you will 
find the gold in the form of yellow powder, lying at the 
bottom of the vessel. Wash it with pure water until it 
ceases to have an acid taste, after which you may melt 
and cast into any form you choose. Gold treated in this 
manner may be relied on as perfectly pure. 

Recovering Gold from Coloring- Bath. 

Dissolve a handful of sulphate of iron in boiling water, 
and add it to your "color" water; it precipitates the small 
particles of gold. Now draw off the water, being very 
careful not to disturb the auriferous sediment at the bot- 
tom. You will now proceed to wash the sediment from 
all trace of aCid with plenty of boiling water; it will re- 
quire three or four separate washings, with sufficient time 
between each to allow the water to cool and the sediment 
to settle, before passing off the water. Then dry in an 
iron vessel by the fire and finally fuse in a covered cru- 
cible with a flux. 

Gold and Silver from Textiles. 

Cut into pieces the gold or silver lace, tie it tightly, 
and boil in soap lye till the size appears diminished, take 
the cloth out of the liquid, and after repeated rinsings of 
cold water, beat it with a mallet to draw out the alkali. 
Open the linen, and the pure metal will be found in all its 
beauty. 

Removing Tin from Gold. 

Much depends upon the treatment the tin received in 
soldering. • If it received too much heat, it has penetrated 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 85 

into the gold, and can never be expelled again. This is 
known when scratching the tin, if it is glass hard it has 
become incorporated. If, however, it is still soft, scrape 
it off as closely as possible, and lay the article in a dilute 
mixture of sulphuric acid and water, and leave it im- 
mersed for a few hours. Have a care to have the fluid 
only strong enough to dissolve the tin, but not to attack 
the gold. When, after taking out, it should still show 
black spots, which is a sign that more tin is present 
scrape and immerse again. 

Removing Gold. 

Gold is taken from the surface of silver by spreading 
over it a paste made of pulverized sal ammoniac with 
aquafortis, and heating it till the matter smokes and is 
nearly dry, when the gold may be separated by rubbing 
it with a scratch-brush. 

Separating Silver. 

The silver holding alloy or metals are dissolved in the 
least possible quantity of crude nitric acid. The solution 
is mixed with a strong excess of ammonia and filtered 
into a high cylinder, provided with a stopper. A bright 
strip of copper, long enough to project beyond the liquid, 
is next introduced, which quickly causes separation of 
pure metallic silver. The reduction is completed in a 
short time, and the reduced silver washed first with some 
ammoniacal solution and then with distilled water. The 
more ammoniacal and concentrated the solution, the more 
rapid the reduction. The strip of copper should not be 
too thin, as it is considerably attacked, and any little par- 
ticles which might separate from a thin sheet would con- 
taminate the silver. The operation is so simple that it 
seems preferable to all others for such operations as the 
preparation of nitrate of silver from old coins, etc. Any 



86 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

accompanying gold remains behind during the treatment 
of the metal or alloy with nitrate acid, chloride of silver, 
produced by the impurities in the nitric acid is taken up 
by the ammoniacal solution like the copper, and is also 
reduced to the metallic state ; and whatever other metal 
is not left behind, oxidized by the nitrate acid, is separated 
as hydrate (lead bismuth), on treating with ammonia. 
Any arseniate which may have passed into the ammoniacal 
solution is not decomposed by the copper. 

To Separate Silver from Copper. 

Sulphuric acid i part, nitric acid i part, water i part. 
Boil the metal in this mixture until it is all dissolved, 
adding fresh liquid from time to time as the action ceases. 
When all dissolved, throw in a little salt dissolved in 
water, stir vigorously, and allow the precipitated silver to 
settle, when no more precipitate is formed by the addition 
of salt water, allow to settle, collect and wash the pre- 
cipitate on a filter and fuse in a crucible. 

Silver from Solution. 

Silver may be recovered from the spent plating solu- 
tions by adding sulphuric acid slowly until effervescence 
ceases; allowing the precipitated silver to settle, washing 
with hot water to remove the acid and fusing in a crucible 
complete the process. Or, if desired to make silver salts, 
it need not be fused, as the finely divided silver is acted 
upon by acids to the very best advantage. 

Refining Silver. 

After having rolled the silver, cut it into narrow strips, and 
curl it to prevent its lying flat; the pieces are dropped into 
a vessel containing two ounces of good nitric acid diluted 
with one-half ounce pure rain water. When the silver 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 87 

has entirely disappeared, add to the two and a half ounces 
of solution nearly one quart of pure rain water. Then 
sink a sheet of clean copper into it; the silver will collect 
rapidly upon the copper, and you can scrape it off and 
melt it in a bulk. 



88 



WATCHMAKERS AND JEWELERS 



JEWELERS' ALLOYS. 



Specific Gravities. 

The following table shows the specific gravities of 
numerous metals employed in the arts, together with their 
melting points, malleability, ductility and tenacity. 




Gold Alloys. 

Take 600 grains of the gold-bearing quartz, finely pul- 
verized, and free from sulphurets; mix with 600 grains 
litharge, and 7 grains charcoal; melt all in crucible of 
ample size, and set off to cool. Break the crucible when 
cold, and the gold will be found in a small button under 
the refuse matter at the bottom. To ascertain the amount 
of gold in a metallic substance, select a small sample, 
weigh it, and melt in a small cupel composed of calcined 
bone ashes. This absorbs the common metal, leaving the 
gold and siver exposed to view. The resulting button is 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 89 

melted once more in the proportion of gold i part, silver 
3 parts, and then rolled into a thin ribbon, and boiled in 
nitric acid, which dissolves out the silver, and leaves the 
gold pure at the bottom. The gold can be removed, and 
the silver subsequently precipitated with salt. In the assay 
of the rock containing pyrites, it must be roasted until it 
ceases to evolve sulphurous fumes, then mix 600 grs. of 
the powder with 300 grs. carbonate of soda, 300 grs. 
charcoal, 300 grs. litharge, 300 grs. dried borax, and 15 
grs. charcoal; melt all in a crucible, and treat as directed 
above. 

To Melt Gold. 

Prepare a good fire and heat the ingot in which you 
wish to cast the gold a little hotter than boiling water; 
next put the alloy into the crucible, and add a small quan- 
tity of pulverized borax, and leave on the fire until 
melted. Cast this into a clean ingot, and after breaking 
the bar into small fragments, return to the pot and re- 
melt the gold, not adding borax this time, but when the 
gold looks clear and smooth on top, add, for every 6 
ounces gold, a piece of saltpeter about the size of a pea,, 
and in about a minute pour the gold. Keep up the heat 
after adding the saltpeter, and previous to pouring the 
gold, pour a few drops of gold into the iron ingot. If 
the stock was clean when you commenced, the gold will 
roll well. Much depends upon the first rolling of the 
stock; 18 karat should be subjected to a very heavy 
strain the first and second draughts, which imparts a 
grain to the stock; light draughts stretch the gold on the 
surface, and the middle portion, remaining as cast, causes 
the gold to crack, many good bars having been con- 
demned, while the trouble was in the rolling. After the 
18 karat has been rolled to about twice its length, it must 
be annealed, then rolled to the size you require. Proceed 



<pO WATCHMAKERS AND JEWELERS 

with melting 14 karat, as above described for 18 karat, 
giving it as heavy strains in the rolls, but not rolling so 
much before annealing as the 18 karat. The other karats 
of cheaper grade do not require the use of saltpeter to 
toughen; instead of which use a little sal ammoniac, and 
then proceed as above. When you anneal red gold do 
not quench it when red hot, but allow the gold to blacken 
before quenching, otherwise it will slit or seam. Melt 
new alloys in every case twice; treat solder the same 
way, to insure a thorough admixture of the copper with 
the gold. 

Coloring Gold Alloys. 

Jewelers use a number of different colored alloys for 
purposes of ornamentation, so as to produce a number of 
different shades of color in the same article. For example 
red, blue, yellow and white are employed for flowers; 
green for leaves; yellow for stems; gray for backgrounds, 
etc. These are used either made solid and hard soldered, 
or sweated on the article to be ornamented; it is also used 
in plating baths and deposited electrically upon the article, 
the various parts not deposited upon, being covered with 
wax or asphaltum while plating is being done. For white, 
silver or platinum are used, the other colors, being made 
according to the various formulas given below. 

Blue Gold. 

1. Melt 250 parts of gold and add 250 parts of steel. 

2. Melt 500 parts of gold and add 250 parts of iron. 

3. Melt 750 parts of gold and add 250 parts of iron. 

4. Melt 90 to 99 parts of copper and add 1 to 10 parts 
of gold. This is the celebrated Japanese blue gold. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 9 1 

Red Gold. 

1. Melt 666 parts of gold; add 66 parts silver and 268 
parts copper. 

2. Melt 750 parts gold, 104 parts silver and 146 parts 
copper. 

3. Gold, 600 parts; silver, 200 parts; copper 200 
parts. A very pale shade of red. 

4. Gold, 583 .parts; silver, 42 parts; copper, 375 parts. 
Intensely red. 

5. Melt 75 parts of gold and 25 parts of copper; in- 
corporate thoroughly by stirring. 

6. Equal parts of gold and copper, melted and tho- 
roughly incorporated by stirring form a dark red. 

7. Melt 25 parts of gold and 75 parts of copper. This 
forms a very cheap but effective dark red. 

Pure gold varies from a pale yellow to a light copper 
color, according to the locality in which it is found, and 
the state in which it occurs in nature, as nuggets, dust, 
placer gold, quartz rock, etc. In making the alloys care 
should be taken to use the shade of gold nearest to that 
desired. Although it is not absolutely essential to do 
this, much purer colors will be obtained than where this 
jprecaution is neglected. 

Green Gold. 

1. Melt 750 parts gold, 125 parts silver, 125 parts of 
cadmium. Incorporate thoroughly, remelting if nec- 
essary. 

2. Melt 750 parts of gold, 166 parts of silver, 84 parts 
of cadmium. 

3. Melt 746 parts of gold, 114 parts of silver, 97 parts 
of copper, 43 parts of cadmium. 



92 WATCHMAKERS AND JEWELERS 

4. Melt 190 parts gold and 50 parts of silver. This 
has a beautiful green shade. 

Gray Gold. 

1. Melt together 857 parts of gold, 86 parts of silver,. 
57 parts of iron or steel. 

2. Melt 800 parts of gold and add 200 parts of steel. 

3. Melt 725 parts of gold and 275 parts of silver. 

4. Melt 833 parts of gold and 167 parts of iron. 

Yellow Gold. 

1. Melt 583 parts of "gold, 125 parts of silver, 292 
parts of copper. Dark yellow. 

2. Melt 900 parts of gold, 100 parts of copper. Forms 
a deep yellow. 

3. Melt 530 parts of gold, 250 parts of silver, 220 
parts of copper. Deep yellow. 

4. Melt 666 parts of gold, 194 parts of silver, 139 
parts of copper. 

5. Melt 750 parts of gold, 146 parts of silver, 104 
parts of copper. 

6. Melt 666 parts of gold, 333 parts of silver. Pale 
yellow. 

7. Melt 91.67 'parts of gold, 8.33 parts of iron. Pale 
yellow. 

8. Melt 91.67 parts of gold, 8.33 parts of silver. Pale 
yellow. 

9. Melt 50 parts of gold. 50 parts of silver. Very 
pale yellow. 

10. Pure gold of the early placer diggings, such as is 
found in old coins, old jewelry, African placer gold, etc.,. 
is generally of a fine yellow, but very soft. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 93 

Imitation Gold Alloys. 

1. Pure copper, ioo parts; zinc, or preferably, tin, 17 
parts; magnesia, 6 parts; sal ammoniac, from 3 to 6 
parts; quicklime, yi part; tartar of commerce, 9 parts. 
The copper is first melted, and the magnesia, sal ammon- 
iac, lime and tartar are then added separately and by de- 
grees, in the form of powder; the whole is now briskly 
stirred for about one-half hour, so as to mix thoroughly, 
and then the zinc is added in small grains by throwing it 
on the surface and stirring till it is entirely fused; the 
crucible is then covered and fusion maintained for about 
thirty-five minutes. The surface is then skimmed and 
the alloy is ready for casting. It has a fine grain, is mal- 
leable, and takes a splendid polish. It does not corrode 
readily, and is an excellent substitute for gold for many 
purposes. When tarnished, its brilliancy can be restored 
by a little acidulated water. If tin be employed instead 
of zinc, the alloy will be more brilliant. It is very much 
used in France, and must ultimately become popular. 

2. Copper, 79.7 parts; zinc, 83.05; nickel, 6.09, with 
a trace of iron and tin. Called oreide. 

3. Copper, 65.50 parts; platinum, 32 .02 parts; silver, 
2.48 parts. This alloy has about the color of 9 karat 
gold. Strong boiling in nitric acid has apparently no 
effect on it even when left in the acid for some time. 

4. Fuse with saltpeter, sal ammoniac, and powdered 
charcoal; 4 parts platinum; 2^ parts copper; 1 part 
zinc; 2 parts tin; 1^ parts lead. Will stand a close ex- 
amination without detection. 

5. Copper, 11 parts; zinc, 2 parts. Has a rich, deep 
gold color, is extremely malleable and is employed in 
making Dutch gold leaf. 



94 WATCHMAKERS AND JEWELERS 

6. Copper, 16 parts; platinum, 7 parts; zinc, 1 part,, 
fused together. Has about the color of 16 karat gold and 
will resist cold nitric acid. 

Platinum Alloys. 

Several alloys containing platinum, of a comparatively- 
inexpensive nature, have been extensively used under the 
name of platinum bronze. They are not tarnished by the 
action of air or water, take a high polish and retain their 
luster for a long time. The great increase in the price of 
platinum, owing to its extended use in electrical work, for 
resistances, etc., will probably diminish its use in the arts 
for a time, unless new sources of supply shall cheapen it 
again; but as any jeweler is likely to encounter that 
which is now in existence, we give several of the formulas 
for these bronzes: 

1. Nickel 900 parts, platinum 9 parts, tin 90 parts. 
Used for tableware. 

2. Nickel 865 parts, platinum 5 parts, tin 130 parts- 
Used for jewelry and statuettes. 

3. Nickel 710 parts, platinum 145 parts, tin 145 parts. - 
Used for tubes of optical instruments. 

4. Nickel 316 parts, platinum 32 parts, brass 652: 
parts. 

5. Copper 96 parts, platinum 4. Malleable,, rose col- 
ored and exhibits a fine grained fracture. 

6. Equal parts by weight of copper and platinum. Is. 
ductile, easily worked, has the color and specific gravity 
of gold, but tarnishes on exposure to the air. 

Aluminium Alloys. 

Aluminium, or aluminum, is an extremely light, duc- 
tile and malleable metal, which is rapidly coming into- 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 95, 

favor for many purposes since the great improvements in 
its manufacture and the consequent reduction in cost. It 
can now be purchased in quantities at ninety cents per 
pound, which makes it nearly as cheap as copper, when 
the great difference in weight of a cubic foot of the two 
metals is considered. It is silvery in appearance, melts 
at 1,300 degrees F., has a specific gravity of 2.56 to 
2.60, which is one-fourth the weight of silver, does not 
oxidize readily and resists most acids and alkalies, but is 
very easily attacked by others, especially when heated, 
or when present during chemical reactions, on other 
metals. It is three times as ductile as silver, and has 50 
per cent, more tenacity or strength. Much nonsense has 
been written about this metal, such as that it is stronger 
than steel; will not rust; is not attacked by acids, etc., 
all of which are untrue. _ It is readily attacked by many 
chlorides, such as common salt, (chloride of sodium), etc., 
and by some of the organic acids, in which respect it 
resembles silver. In regard to the hardening, tempering, 
etc., of the pure metal, comparatively little is known at 
present; but it is probable that as its use becomes more 
common it will be greatly improved in these respects, as 
has been done with iron. At all events, it will have an 
extended trial in the fine arts and mechanics, and it will 
probably displace platinum and nickel in the various 
alloys to a large extent, on account of the great differ- 
ence in weight. One great difficulty remaining to be 
overcome is that of soldering. At present it can be sol- 
dered only by using an alloy of which aluminium forms a 
part. Several of these solders are given below. 

Aluminium forms alloys with many metals; those with 
copper, silver and tin are largely employed for many pur- 
poses, and their use is rapidly extending. The most 
important are those copper, with which aluminium easily 
unites. 



06 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

Aluminium and Gold. 

i . Gold 99 parts, aluminium i part. A very hard but 
not ductile alloy possessing the color of green gold. 

2. Aluminium 10 parts, gold 90 parts. White, crys- 
taline and brittle. 

3. Aluminium 5 parts, gold 95 parts. Brittle as glass. 

4. Aluminium 7^ parts, gold 2 x / 2 parts, copper 100 
parts. Resembles gold in color, and is much used as a 
substitute for it in jewelry. 

5. An alloy of aluminium 999 parts, gold 1 part, is as 
ductile as pure aluminium, but not as hard as the alloys 
of silver. 

Aluminium and Silver. 

1. Aluminium 97 parts, silver 3 parts. Has a beautiful 
color and is easily worked and is very valuable for articles 
in which one of the main objects is to obtain lightness, 
such as the instruments used for marine observations. 
Those parts of such instruments which, if made with other 
metal, would weigh four pounds will, when made of the 
above alloy, only weigh one pound. 

2. Equal parts by weight of aluminium and silver give 
an alloy as hard as bronze. 

3. Aluminium 100 parts, silver 5 parts. Can be worked 
like pure aluminium, but is harder and takes a very high 
polish. 

4. Aluminium 95 parts, silver 5 parts. Is white, elastic 
and hard. Used for blades of dessert and fruit knives. 

Aluminium and Copper. 

1. Aluminium 95 parts, copper 5 parts. Patented in 
the United States by Lange & Sons. It is malleable; can 
be tempered, and is used for clock springs. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 97 

2. Aluminium 10 parts, copper 90 parts. This is used 
more than any of the other aluminum bronzes. It is hard, 
ductile, resembles gold, takes a high polish, does not 
tarnish readily, gives sharp castings, may be rolled in 
sheets, is more easily worked than steel, and may be 
engraved. It is used for many purposes in the arts. It 
can only be soldered with an aluminum alloy. 

Aluminium and Tin. 

Tin and aluminium give brittle alloys when they con- 
tain much aluminium and little tin, but those with a small 
quantity of aluminium are very ductile and may be used 
as substitutes for tin. 

1. Aluminium 3 parts, tin 100 parts. Hard and not 
affected by acids. 

2. Aluminium 5 parts, tin 95 parts. Forms a very use- 
ful alloy for many purposes. 

3. Aluminium 50 parts, tin 50 parts. Bourbonne's 
alloy. This solders easily. 

4. Aluminium 100 parts, tin 10 parts. 

Aluminium and Zinc. 
These alloys are very hard and take a beautiful polish, 
but owing to their brittle and crystalline nature, when 
much zinc is present, they are but little used. The most 
useful is aluminium 97 parts, zinc 3 parts. This is as 
white as the pure metal, ductile and quite hard. The 
others are used chiefly as solders. 

Aluminium Solders. 

1. Melt 20 parts of aluminum in a crucible, add gradu- 
ally 80 parts of zinc, stirring with an iron rod. When 
melted, add some fat, raise the heat until fat ignites, then 
pour in iron molds. 



7 



98 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

2. Aluminum 15 parts, zinc 85 parts. Melt as above. 

3. Aluminium 12 parts, zinc 88 parts. Melt as above. 

4. Aluminium 8 parts, zinc 92 parts. Melt as in the 
first instance. 

When soldering dip the iron into a flux composed of 
copaiba balsam 3 parts, Venice turpentine 1 part, lemon 
juice a few drops. 

Manganese Alloys. 

Manganese has a great affinity for oxygen, and hence 
has the quality of toughening other metals when present 
during their melting, by destroying the sub-oxides. It is 
used with many single metals and also in man}^ alloys. 
Those used for jewelers' tools etc., are: 

1. Manganese 25.50 parts, copper 54.50 parts, zinc 20 
parts. 

2. Manganese 13 parts, copper 55.50 parts, zinc 31.50 
parts. 

3. Manganese 22.25 parts, copper 52.25 parts, zinc 
25.50 parts. « 

These alloys can all be rolled at a red heat. If it is 
unnecessary to roll them, iron may be added with advan- 
tage, for castings etc., as follows: 

4. Iron 5.88 parts, manganese 26.35 parts, copper 56 
parts, zinc n.77- 

5. Iron 5 parts, manganese 20 parts, coppor 57 parts, 
zinc 11.50 parts, nickel 6.50 parts. 

Alloys 4 and 5 are nearly white and are much used in 
cheap plated ware, jeweler's tools, etc. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 



99 



Silver Assay with Testing Tubes. 

Place in the tube enough of the pulverized mineral to 
fill one inch of the space, and on this pour nitric acid in 
quantity to occupy 2 inches more, and hold the mixture 
over a flame until the acid boils. The acid will dis- 
solve whatever silver may be present, and must be 
passed through filtering paper to remove extraneous 
matter and return to the tube. Next add a few drops of 
water saturated with salt; any silver or lead that may be 
present will be precipitated in a cloudy form to the bot- 
tom. Drain off the acid, place the percipitate in the sun- 
light, and in a few minutes, if it contains silver, it will 
turn to a purple color, and may be again liquified by the 
addition of spirits of ammonia. The testing tube is 
formed of thin glass,- about 5 inches long, and less than 
1 inch diameter; bottom and sides of equal thickness. 
Where the tube is lacking a cup may be used instead. 

Silver Assay by Smelting. 

If no lead is present, mix 600 grs. of the pulverized 
ore with 300 grs. carbonate of soda, 600 grs. of litharge, 
and 12 grs. charcoal in a crucible, add a slight coal of 
borax over all, put on the furnace, melt, take off, give it 
a few taps to settle the metal, let it cool and remove the 
button. 

Fictitious Silver. 

1. Silver 1 oz., nickel, 1 oz. 11 dwts, copper, 2 oz. 9 

dwts. 

2. Silver 3 oz., nickel, 1 oz. 11 dwts.. copper, 2 oz. 9 
dwts., spelter 10 dwts. 

Imitation Silver Alloys. 
1. Copper 64 parts, tin 3 parts. 



ioo watchmakers' and jewelers' 

2. Copper 75 parts, tin 25 parts. Called white 
tombac. 

3. Tin 85^ parts, antimony 14^ parts. Called argen- 
tia. Used for spoons and forks. 

4. Copper 50; nickel 26; zinc 24. Closely resembles 
silver and takes a high polish. 

5. White copper. See Nickel Alloys 7 and 8. 

6. Copper 56; nickel 24; zinc'i6; tin 3; iron 2. Used 
extensively for spoons. Sold as German plate. 

7. Copper 100 parts; nickel 70 parts; aluminium 1 
part; tungslate of iron 5 parts. Called Minargeul. 

8. Tin 87.50 parts; nickel 5.50 parts; antimony 5 parts; 
bismuth 2 parts. Called Trabak metal. 

9. Tin 10 parts; bismuth 7 parts; nickel 7 parts; 
cobalt 3 parts. Called Warne metal. 

See also the various nickel and aluminium alloys. 

Nickel Alloys. 

1. Copper 40; zinc 32; nickel 8. Called Albata. 

2. Copper 60; zinc 30; nickel 10; iron a trace. Called 
Alfenide. 

3. Copper 15; zinc 70: nickel 6. Called White 
Argentan. 

4. Copper 50; nickel 20; zinc 30. German silver; very 
malleable and takes a high polish. 

5. Copper 50; nickel 26; zinc 24. Closely resembles 
silver. Takes a high polish. 

6. Copper 50; nickel 50; zinc 50. Very white and 
malleable and takes a high polish. Recommended as a 
substitute for silver. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. IOI 

7- Copper 30; nickel 36; zinc 34. Said to be the 
Chinese formula for white copper. 

8. Copper 41; nickel 32; iron 2^; zinc 24^. Sil- 
very white, sonorous, malleable and ductile. Takes a 
high polish. Said to equal the Chinese white copper. 

Alloy for Compensation Balances. 

Berguet used for his compensation balances the follow- 
ing alloy: Silver, 2 parts, by weight; copper 2 parts; 
zinc 1 part. First melt the silver, and throw in the zinc, 
reduced to small pieces, stirring the metals and leaving 
it on the fire for as short a time as possible, to prevent 
the volatilization of the latter metal; then pour it out and 
let it get cold. Melt the copper and add the cold alloy, 
stirring the three together until intimately mixed, Pour 
out, cut into pieces, and smelt anew, to obtain a perfect 
incorporation. Be careful, however, to leave the alloy 
as short a time as possible over the fire, because the zinc 
dissipates easily. This alloy is hard, elastic, very ductile, 
and quickly smelts in the furnace. It does not stand 
much hammering. 

Bell Metals. 

1. Copper 72, tin 26^, iron \]/ 2 parts. Used for the 
gongs of French clocks. 

2. Copper 78, tin 22 parts. Used for large gongs, 
bells, etc. 

3. Copper 60, tin 24, zinc 9, iron 3. Used for Kara 
Kanes or Japanese gongs of the first quality, and also for 
small bells. 

4. Copper 60, tin 15, zinc 3, lead 8. For second 
quality Kara Kanes. 



It) 2 WATCHMAKERS AND JEWELERS 

5. Copper 60, tin 18, zinc 6, lead 12, iron 3. For large 
bells and third quality Kara Kanes. 

6. Copper 72, tin 25.56, silver 1.44. For clock bells. 

7. Copper 17, tin 80, bismuth 3. For white table 
bells. 

8. Copper 100, tin 20. Melt under charcoal. Pro- 
duct very fine. 

9. Copper 1, tin 3. Soft, for musical bells. Bluish 
red. 

10. Copper 1, tin 4. Ash gray. For house bells. 

Black Bronze. 

Tin 5 parts, copper 83 parts, lead 10 parts, zinc 2 parts. 
Castings made of this alloy, when heated in a muffle after 
finishing, quickly assume a dead black appearance, which 
is not a scale or coating, but is inherent in the metal. It 
is much used in Japanese bronze objects of art, statuettes, 
etc. 

Violet Bronze. 

Copper 75 parts, antimony 25 parts. Has a violet tinge 
of variable shade according to the shade of the copper 
and the proportions of antimony. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. IO3 



SPRINGS. 



Balances. 

A gold balance is preferable to a steel balance. The 
latter metal has the advantage of being less affected by 
alteration of temperature, but, on the other hand, gold is 
denser than steel and is not liable to rust or magnetize. 

Balance Spring. 

The study of the balance must be of the greatest im- 
portance to the watchmaker, because with it chiefly is he 
able to control the rate of the watch. The great ad- 
vantage of an overcoil spring is that it distends in 
action on both sides, and the balance pivots are thereby 
relieved of the side pressure given with the ordinary flat 
spring. The Breguet spring, in common with the helical 
and all other forms in which the outer coil returns towards 
the center, offers opportunities of obtaining isochronism 
by slightly varying the character of the curve described 
by the outer coil, and thereby altering its power of 
resistance. 

Caution About Breguet Springs. 

A Breguet spring should never be applied to a watch 
with an index. It is perhaps the best form of spring for 
a pocket watch, having all the properties in action of the 
cylindrical spring, and the great advantage of flatness in 
form, but any attempts at producing a good timekeeper 
with this spring and curb pins will end in failure. And 
any attempt at getting time in positions by pressing the 
outer coil of the flat spring against the outer or inner pin 
is mere jobbing, and, even if successful, would require to 



104 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

be repeated every time the balance had to be taken out. 
For flat springs with regulators it would be highly advis- 
able to pin a spring into the collet, in order to get the stud 
hole and curb pins to correspond. The end of the over 
coil of a Breguet spring should run into hole in the stud 
before being pinned in, and if the stud is screwed into the 
cock without the balance it will easily be seen if the jewel 
hole is in the center of the' hole in the spring collet, as it 
should be. This spring should also be pinned at equal 
turns. 

To Demagnetize a Balance and Hairspring. 

Remove roller and hair-spring (if not affected). Put 
in lathe, hold a magnet quite close at first, revolving the 
balance rapidly; then gradually draw the magnet away 
to a distance of a foot or more. Keep the speed up all 
the time. 

To Prevent Rust. 

It is well known that the rusting of bright steel goods 
is due to the precipitation of the moisture and the air upon 
it. This may be obviated by keeping the air surrounding 
the goods dry, and a saucer of powdered quicklime placed 
in an ordinary show case will usually suffice to prevent 
the rusting of the cutlery exhibited therein. 

To Prevent Rusty Hairsprings. 

Brush the outside of the paper parcel, containing the 
springs, with olive oil — a small quantity only. 

Relation of Mainspring to Barrel. 

If we wish to have a mainspring theoretically adjusted, 
there is no better method than simply to allow one-third 
empty space, one-third for the barrel arbor and the 
remainder for the spring. When a spring is at rest on 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 105 

the barrel, at either side of the arbor it should occupy 
one-sixth of the barrel's inside diameter. If we divide a 
barrel into sixty equal parts, we shall always see that the 
barrel arbor is just twenty of these parts. It is a great 
mistake to have a barrel arbor too small, for when such 
is the case it is almost sure to break the mainspring if the 
center is at all stubborn, as is very often the case with the 
cheap class of mainsprings in the market. 

Hardening Gold Springs. 

To gold detent, thermometer, suspension and balance 
springs can be imparted a high degree of elasticity. Roll- 
ing hardens them, but they are rendered very brittle 
thereby. They can be made pliable and elastic, not bj' 
hardening, as in the case of steel, but by annealing, care 
being taken not to exceed a certain degree of heat. The 
spring may be coiled on a block and placed in a tube, with 
a smooth steel lid; then heat the tube in the flame of a 
spirit lamp, and as soon as the steel is of a blue temper, 
remove the flame and allow the whole to cool. 

Isochronism of Balance Springs. 

The balance spring, of whatever form, to be isochro- 
nous must satisfy the following conditions: Its center of 
gravity must always be on the axis of the balance, and it 
must expand and contract in the vibrations concentrically 
with that axis. When these conditions are secured in a 
properly made spring it will possess the quality of iso- 
chronism — that is, its force will increase in proportion to 
the tension, and it will not exert any lateral pressure on 
the pivots. M. Phillips, in his memoir, demonstrates these 
conditions, and proves theoretically that the terminal 
curves deduced with the view of satisfying the one con- 
dition, verify at the same time the other. 



io6 watchmakers' and jewelers' 



WHEELS AND PINIONS. 



To Bush a Wheel. 

A watch will frequently stop, because a wheel is im- 
properly centered in itself, whereby one side will gear too 
deep, the other too shallow, into the pinion driven by it. 
Such a wheel likely is of the proper size, and has good 
teeth, but the difficulty is its proper centering, when fitted 
to its pinion. The following will be found an easy wa} r 
of correction : Take a piece of lead of about the thickness 
of a silver half dollar, and clip and file it round so that it 
will lit into one of the larger steps in a step chuck of an 
American lathe. Screw it fast into the lathe, and while 
revolving, center and drill a hole of about the size of a 
winding arbor. Then with a graver, turn out a recess, 
the size and a trifle more than the thickness of the wheel, 
so that it will fit in exact, with its teeth touching the out- 
side of the cut. Drive the wheel from its pinion, and 
broach out the center, so as to take a bush of sufficient 
length, which should be firmly riveted in and filed smooth 
on the lower sides. Turn a small groove around the out- 
side of the cut in the lead, crowd in the wheel, with a 
burnisher set as a gavel. This fixes the wheel perfectly 
true on the outside. Now center and drill, leaving a 
little to be turned and with a fine polished graver, to fit 
the same pinion. Rivet on, and your wheel is all right. 

Scape-Wheel Teeth. 

Among other differences between English and Swiss 
watches are the shapes of their scape- wheels; those of 
the former are pointed, while the latter employ the 
socalled club-tooth, and' experience has demonstrated that 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 107 

the pointed tooth is better than the latter. The reason 
that club-teeth for lever scape-wheels, prove to be in- 
ferior, is because of the adhesion of the nearly parallel 
surfaces when all is introduced; the increased inertia also 
being detrimental. It will be found on comparing the 
two wheels, that the club-tooth will give the largest vibra- 
tion of the two without oil, and when the oil is fresh, be- 
cause there is less drop; but this adhesion, when the oil 
is thick, together with the increased inertia, more than 
counteracts its advantages. 

Putting Teeth Into Wheels. 

To put in teeth in watch or clock wheels without dove- 
' tailing or soldering them, drill a hole somewhat wider 
than the tooth, square through the plate, a little below 
the base of the tooth. Cut from the edge of the wheel, 
square down to the hole already drilled; then flatten a 
piece of wire so as to fit snugly into the cut of the saw, 
and with a light hammer form a head on it like the head 
of a pin. When thus prepared, press the wire or pin 
into the empty space of the wheel, the head filling the 
hole drilled through the plate, and then projecting out so 
as to form the tooth; then with a sharp pointed graver 
cut a small groove each side of the pin from the edge of 
the wheel down to the hole, and with a blow of your 
hammer spread the face of the pin so as to fill the groove 
just cut. Repeat the same operation on the other side 
of the wheel and finish off in the usual way. The tooth 
will be found perfectly rivited in on every side and as 
strong as the original one, while in appearance it will be 
equal to the best dovetailed job. 

To Grind Down Plates or Wheels. 

The stoning down of plates or wheels with emery or 
bluestone is rather a tedious job, especially for him who 



io8 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

has much of it to do. It can be made easier, however, 
by using a little soap. The work is more rapidly per- 
formed and finer stoning is obtained. 

Butting. 

The tendency of pinion leaves to butt the wheel tooth 
when coming into contact is caused either by the bad 
shape of the teeth or the leaves, or by using a pinion of 
an improper size, or by the wheel and pinion being placed 
at an incorrect distance from each other. 

To Remedy Worn Pinions. 

Turn the leaves or rollers so that the worn places upon 
them will be toward the arbor or shaft and fasten them 
in that position. If they are " rolling pinions," and can- 
not be secured otherwise, it will be better to do it with a 
little soft solder. 

To Tighten a Canon Pinion. 

The canon pinion is sometimes too loose upon the cen- 
ter arbor. Grasp the arbor lightly with a pair of cutting- 
nippers, and by a single turn of the nippers around the 
arbor, cut or raise a small thread thereon. 

Pinion Diameter. 

The following are excellent rules for determining the 
correct diameter of a pinion by measuring teeth of the 
wheel that seizes into it. The term, full, used below, 
indicates full measure from outside to outside of the teeth 
named, and the term center the measure from the center 
of one tooth to the center of the other tooth named, in- 
clusive. For diameter of a pinion of 15 leaves meas- 
ure, with calipers, a shade less then 6 teeth of the 
wheel, full. For diameter of a pinion of 14 leaves 
measure, with calipers, a shade less than 6 teeth of the 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. IO9 

wheel, center. For diameter of a pinion of 12 leaves 
measure, with calipers, 5 teeth of the wheel, center. For 
diameter of a pinion of 10 leaves measure, with calipers, 
4 teeth of the wheel, full. For diameter of a 
pinion of 9 leaves measure, with calipers, a little less 
than 4 teeth of the wheel, full. For diameter of a 
pinion of 8 leaves measure, with calipers, a little less than 
4 teeth of the wheel, center. For diameter of a pinion 
of 7 leaves measure, with calipers, a little less than 
3 teeth of the wheel, full. For diameter of a pinion 
6 leaves, measure with calipers, 3 teeth of the Wheel, 
center. For diameter of a pinion of 5 leaves, measure 
with calipers, 3 teeth of the wheel, center. As a general 
rule, pinions that lead, as in the hour wheel, should be 
somewhat larger than those that drive,and pinions of clocks 
should generally be somewhat larger proportionally 
than those of watches. 



IIO WATCHMAKERS AND JEWELERS 



JEWELS. 



New Jewels. 

The bad action of a watch may frequently be traced 
to imperfect jewels. The repairer should carefully 
examine every jewel in a watch taken down for repairs, 
and if he finds one with the hole too large, or out of 
round, that is much wider in one direction than in 
another, it should be replaced by a good one, in the fol- 
lowing manner: If the depth is correct, notice whether 
the jewel is above or below the surface of the plate; if it 
is either, then knock it out and cement the plate or bridge 
on a chuck in the lathe, being careful to get it on true by 
the hole lately occupied by the jewel. By means of a 
burnisher raise the burr that holds the jewel in, and if a 
jewel can be found of the proper size and thickness, and 
the hole not to large, it can be readily " rubbed in " with 
the burnisher; if the hole is too small, it can be opened. 
The chuck on which the article is cemented should have 
a hole from a quarter to a half an inch deep in its center. 
If no jewels can be found of the right size and thickness, 
select one a little too large, enlarge the hole sufficiently 
to put the jewel in and then proceed to fasten it. If the 
jewel is broken, of course the same remarks apply to 
replacing it with a good one. One difficulty which the 
watchmaker has to contend with, in selecting a jewel 
from the indifferent lot supplied by some dealers, is to 
find one, the hole of which is in the center of the jewel. 
If a jewel is not true, or rather, if the hole in it is not in 
the center, it must be cemented into a chuck in the lathe, 
trued up by the hole, then turned off with a diamond 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. Ill 

cutter, and the chamfer carefully trued up and polished 
again; while in the lathe it can be turned down to fit the 
hole in the setting. The shellac is to be removed from 
the plate with alcohol. In many instances a chuck will 
have to be turned up to suit the particular job to be done. 
Care must be taken in opening., or the jewel will break 
or chip around the hole. The corners must be carefully 
rounded by a piece of wire larger than the hole, the end 
of which is conical. It will take but a moment to do this, 
but if care is not taken too much will be taken off. 

Replace a Broken Foot Jewel. 

Remove the broken jewel from the collet or setting; 
place the collet or setting in one of your lathe-chucks, 
large enough to hold the same; start in motion, and with 
a fine-pointed burnisher raise the bezel sufficient to 
receive a new jewel; select a jewel to fit both pivot and 
setting, replace in chuck, and with a little larger burn- 
isher close down the bezel on pivot, and your job is com- 
plete. 

To Test the Quality of Watch Jewels. 

Place the jewel on a piece of charcoal, and with the 
blow-pipe and spirit lamp bring it to a bright cherry red. 
If the stone is perfect and of the proper density, the heat 
will not affect it; otherwise, the heat will bring out the 
imperfections, which can easily be detected with a double 
lens glass. To ascertain if a jewel hole is perfectly pol- 
ished, place a piece of white paper on your work board 
and hold the jeweled plate about two inches above the 
paper and parallel to it, so as to allow the light to pass 
between the plate and the paper; shade the jewel with a 
small ring to prevent the light from reflecting from the 
top of the stone, and with your double lens glass look 
straight through the jewel hole to the paper. If it is 



112 watchmakers' and jewelers' 

perfectly polished it will appear to have a fine black ring 
around the inside of the hole. If the jewel is a ruby or 
a garnet, use black paper instead of white. 

Ruby Pin. 

If it is necessary to tighten a ruby pin, set it in asphal- 
tum varnish. It will become hard in a few minutes, and 
be much firmer and better than in gum shellac as gen- 
erally used. 

Removing Jewels. 

Jewels can be removed from full plates by putting the 
plate into a glass tumbler and pouring on nitric acid. The 
jewels will become loose and drop out after a little time. 
Wash the jewels well with a little soda or ammonia. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. II3 



PIVOTS AND STAFFS. 



To Measure Length of Staff. 

The proper way to measure for the length of staff is, 
first, to take off both end stones, fit the balance cock 
properly to the plate (level, etc.), and screw it fast in its 
place. Then, with the degree gauge, take the measure 
from the outside of one hole jewel to the outside of the 
other one, and to this add the amount of end shake the 
staff is to have, which gives the exact length of the staff 
between the extreme ends of the pivots. The length 
should be such that when- one pivot rests against its end 
stone the top pivot shall come level with the outer surface 
of its hole jewel, and the same when resting on the other 
pivot. The end shake should be equal to the distance 
from the outer surface of the hole jewel to the adjacent 
surface of its end stone when fastened in place. If this 
distance is neither too great nor small (the jewels must 
not touch), the end shake will be correct. A safe way 
for length is to take the outside measure from the surface 
of the sink in which the bottom end stone fitting rests, to 
the top surface of the balance cock. Then, having 
screwed on one of the end stones, shorten up either or 
both pivots of the finished staff a trifle, to bring the top 
end of the other pivot level with the surface of its hole 
jewel as before explained. 

Shape of Pivots. 

Pivots must be hard, round and well polished; their 
shoulders are to be flat, not too large, with ends well 
rounded off so that they do not wear the cap jewel. The 



114 WATCHMAKERS AND JEWELERS 

jewel holes must be round, smooth and not larger than is 
requisite for the free motion of the pivot which is sur- 
rounded with oil. Their sides must be parallel to those of 
the pivots, so that they sustain the pressure of the pivot 
equally at all points of their length. The holes, if of 
brass or gold, must have been hammered sufficiently hard, 
so that the pores of the metal are closed to prevent too 
rapid a wear. It is well if the oil sinks are of a size that 
will accommodate a sufficient quantity of oil, which, if 
too little, would soon dry out or become thickened with 
the worn-off particles of the metal. The under turnings 
of the pinion leaves are conical, but in such a way that 
the thicker part be nearest to the pivot, because by this 
disposition the oil is retained at the pivot by attraction, 
and does not seek to spread into the pinion leaves, as is 
often the case, especially with flat watches in which this 
provision is frequently slighted. 

Friction of the Train Pivots. 

It is very important to reduce the friction of the wheel 
pivots to a minimum quantity, and to make it constant so 
that the motive power be transmitted with the greatest 
possible uniformity to the pendulum, which is necessary 
to enable the latter to maintain its arc of oscillation of the 
same magnitude. The friction of the pivots is due to the 
pressure of the motive power and the weight of the 
wheels. The wheel work nearest the motive power must 
have strong pivots so that they possess sufficient resist- 
ance, neither wear the pivot holes to one side nor enlarge 
them, by which the friction would be increased and at the 
same time alter the true point of engagement. In tenor 
with the distance of the wheels from the motive power, 
the thickness of their pivots must decrease because these 
latter sustain less pressure, and are subject to a greater 
velocity than the first parts. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. n^ 

Barrel Arbor. 

In the absence of a suitable tap or screw plate, when 
turning in a Swiss barrel arbor, if the collet is good it 
may be used as a plate. Soften the collet and file two 
slight passages across the threads with a fine three-cor- 
nered file; screw a piece of brass wire through the collet, 
so as to free the threads from burr; then re-harden the 
collet and cut the screw on the arbor with it. A pair of 
pliers with faces curved to suit the collet are used to hold 
it. In an emergency the old arbor may be prepared for 
use as a tap if the old collet is not available. 



1 10 watchmakers' and jewelers' 



DRILLS AND DRILLING. 



Diamond Drills and Gravers. 

Drill a hole or file a notch in the end of a piece of 
"brass wire to correspond with the fragment of diamond; 
heat the end in a spirit lamp and lay it on a piece of good 
sealing wax or shellac. When this commences to melt, 
set the diamond in position and leave the whole to cool. 
Diamond drills are very commonly mounted at the end of 
a pin that has had it point filed off; mark a point on the 
end with a graver and drill the hole, which should be 
very shallow. Holding the pin in a pin vise, with its point 
projecting about one-tenth of an inch, heat the vise in a 
lamp, and proceed as above explained. 

To Drill into Hard Steel. 

Make your drill oval in form, instead of the usual 
pointed shape, and temper as hard as it will bear without 
breaking; then roughen the surface where you desire to 
drill with a little diluted muriatic acid, and, instead of oil, 
use turpentine or kerosene, in which a little gum camphor 
has been dissolved, with your drill. In operating, keep 
the pressure on your drill firm and steady; and if the 
bottom of the hole should chance to become burnished, 
so the drill will not act, as sometimes happens, again 
roughen with diluted acids as before; then clean out the 
hole carefully and proceed again. 

The Rose Cutter. 
The rose cutter is quite a valuable adjunct to a lathe, 
and is fixed to the spindle in the same manner as a chuck, 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. Il7 

and will be found exceedingly useful for quickly reducing 
pieces of wire for screws, etc., to a gauge. For screws, 
the wire should be of a proper size for the screw heads, 
and a cutter selected with a hole the size of the finished 
screw. The point of the wire is rounded to enter the 
hole of the cutter, against which it is forced by the back 
center of the lathe, the serrated face of the cutter rapidly 
cutting away the superfluous metal, the part intended for 
the screw passes into the hole in the cutter. Some care 
is required in rounding the point of the wire, for if not 
done equally all around, the screw will not be true to the 
head. 

To Drill Enamel Dials. 

You may have to drill or broach holes in enamel dials. 
For this purpose use a flat ended drill or concial broach 
of copper, into which diamond powder has been ham- 
mered. A graver kept moistened with turpentine is 
sometimes used. The edges of the holes in dials may be 
trimmed with corundum sticks, to be obtained at material 
shops. 

Carbolic Acid on Metal Cutting Tools. 

Carbolic acid is recommended for moistening the tools 
with which metals are worked. The efficiency of the 
grindstone is even said to be increased by the use of the 
acid. The dark and impure acid can be used for this 
purpose. 

To Drill Pearls. 

The easiest way to hold pearls, in order to drill and 
otherwise cut them, is to fit them loosely in holes bored 
in a piece of wood. A few drops of water sprinkled 
about the holes causes the wood fibers to swell and hold 
the pearls firmly. When the wood dries they fall out. 



II 8 WATCHMAKERS AND JEWELERS 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Pivot Holes. 

A pivot hole is always broached from the inside until 
the pivot fits; then use a chamferer upon the plate to give 
the necessary shake. If the underlay in riveting was a 
nicely polished anvil, and the shake suffices, it is not 
necessary to chamfer. Then make the oil sink from the 
outside. 

Square Holes. 

To file a square hole, it is necessary to reverse the 
work very often ; a square file should first be used, and 
the holes finished with either a diamond-shaped file or a 
half-round. This leaves the corners square, as they 
properly should be. 

To Broach a Hole Vertically. 

It is quite a serious thing for young watchmakers to 
broach a hole vertically; a hole in a plate, for instance, 
that in a barrel, is seldom maintained at right angles to 
the surface, when they have occasion to employ a broach. 
They may be certain of success, however, by adopting 
the following method: Take a cork of a diameter rather 
less than that of the barrel or other object operated upon, 
and make a hole in the length of the cork through which 
the broach can be passed. When the cock has turned 
quite true on its end and edge, the broach is passed 
through, and used to enlarge the hole; by pressing 
against the back of the cock, it is kept against the barrel, 
whereby the broach is maintained in a vertical position. 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. II9 

To Fit a Bush. 

After repairing the pivot, a bush is selected as small 
as the pivot will admit. Open the hole of the plate 
or cock so that the bush, which previously should be 
lightly draw-filed at the end, will stand with a slight pres- 
sure upright in the opened hole of the plate or cock; 
then, with a knife, cut it across at the part where it is to 
be broken off so that it may break very readily when 
required to do so. Press it in the plate on the side the 
pivot works, break off, and then drive it home with a 
small center punch. In every repair of this nature, notice 
should be taken of the amount of end shake of the pinion, 
and allowance made by leaving the bush so that any 
excess may be corrected. To finish off the shoulder end, 
a small chamfering tool should be used. It has a hole 
smaller than the pivot one to receive a fine brass wire, 
serving as a center to prevent the tool from changing its 
position while being used; or the wire may be put 
through the bush holes, and the hole of the tool left 
open. The- above is a far more expeditious way than 
using the lathe. 

The Functions of Oil Sinks. 

Oil sinks are formed in watch and clock plates so that 
by capillary attractions the oil is kept close to the pivot 
instead of spreading over the plate, and back slopes are 
formed on the arbors so that the oil may not be drawn 
all up the body of the arbor. The "attraction " is some- 
times negative and becomes a repulsion, as is the case 
with mercury in a glass tube. It is still called capillarity, 
whether the fluid is raised above its natural level or de- 
pressed below it . 

With regard to oil sinks, the views of watchmakers 
differ. One is in favor of large, the other of small sinks. 



120 WATCHMAKERS AND JEWELERS' 

Needlessly large, flat oil sinks, as well as projecting* 
bushes, both labor under disadvantages; the former of 
permitting to escape, and the latter of attracting the oil 
from the spots where it is wanted. With large sinks the 
oil spreads very easily and becomes contaminated with 
dust and fibers, while projecting bushes prevent the oil 
from again returning to the pivots. 

To Remove Broken Screws. 

Any one having an American lathe, can, with small 
expense of time and labor, make a small attachment which 
will easily and quickly remove a broken screw from the 
plate or pillar of any watch. 

Take two common steel watch keys having hardened 
and tempered pipes — size, four or five — having care that 
the squares in each are of the same size and a good 
depth. Cut off the pipes about half an inch from the end ' r 
file up one of these for about half its length, on three 
equal sides, to fit one of the large split chucks of the lathe. 
Drill a hole in one of the brass centers of the lathe of suf- 
ficient size and depth, into which insert the other key- 
pipe, and fasten with a little soft solder. Soften a piece 
of Stub's wire, to work easily in the lathe, and turn down 
for an eighth of an inch from the end to a size a little 
smaller than the broken screw in the plate; finish with a 
conical shoulder, for greater strength, and cross-file the 
end with a fine slot or knife-edge file, that the tool may 
not slip on the end of the broken screw; cut off the wire 
a half inch from the end, and file down to a square that 
will fit closely into one of the key-pipes. Make a second 
point like the first one and fit to the other key-pipe r 
harden in oil, polish, and temper to a dark straw color. 
Fit the brass center into the tail stock. To use, put the 
tools in place in the lathe, place the broken end of the 
screw against the end of the point in the lathe head ; slide 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 121 

up the back center and fasten the point firmly against the 
other end of the screw, that it may not slip or turn; 
revolve the plate slowly, and the broken screw, being 
held fast between the two points, will be quickly removed. 
To remove a broken pillar screw: Place the broken 
screw against the point in the lathe-head, holding the 
plate firmly with the right hand, the pillar on a line with 
the lathe center; turn the lathe-head slowly backward 
with the left hand, and the screw will be removed. 
Should the tool slip on the broken screw, and fail to draw 
it out, drill a hole in the pillar from the lower or dial side, 
down to the screw point, (if the size of the pillar in the 
plate will admit of so doing), and with the second point 
in the back center, remove the screw in the same manner 
as the plate screw in the first process. Five or six sizes 
of these points will be found sufficient for a majority of 
these breakages that may occur. 

Cutting Screw Threads. 

It is quite a knack to make a nice screw, and beginners 
are generally apt to use too much force when cutting the 
thread. If the spindle has been turned too large for the 
hole in the screw-plate there is danger of breaking the 
screw-plate, which is over hard, and pieces will chip off; 
again, the piece to be tapped is apt to break and stop up 
the hole in the plate, thereby entailing the tedious job of 
drilling the piece out and cleaning the thread. It is better 
to begin with a hole much too large and working down 
gradually. It is natural that a certain amount of force 
must be employed, and a little practice will soon teach the 
beginner how much to insure a full good thread. Now, 
put the screw back in the lathe, and turn the head a little 
more than the required thickness, and cut the screw off 
by turning a groove out. 



122 WATCHMAKERS AND JEWELERS 

Fitting - the Hands. 

If the body of the canon pinion will not bear turning 
in fitting it to the hour wheel, the hour wheel should be 
opened in the mandrel, as it can not be kept true by- 
opening the hole in the fingers. Fitting the hands to a 
watch deserves more care and attention than are gener- 
ally given to it. The wav hands are commonly fitted to 
watches is bad in principle. The pipe of the hour wheel 
is left too long, and that of the minute hand too short, 
and when the end shake of the hour hand is adjusted, as 
it usually is, lay the boss on the hour wheel and the dial, 
the end shake of the center wheel affects it, sometimes 
giving it too much and bending the hour hand by its 
catching the minute hand either in setting the hands or 
in the going of the ■ watch. In fitting the hands, the 
examiner should fit the glass, if to a hunting case, as 
high as the case will admit, ascertain the space available 
by placing a piece of beeswax on the dial and pressing 
the glass down on it, and turn the canon pinion until it 
projects from the dial the height of the beeswax; the 
hour wheel pipe should rise just perceptibly above the 
dial, and the end shake of the hour hand be adjusted by 
the pipe of the minute hand and that of the hour wheel. 

Concerning the Rate of a Watch. 

When the watch is wound up, and has a lame motion 
and at last comes to a stop, either the male stop has 
wedged itself under the female stop in the last winding, 
or, if it should be a little smaller, then the former applied 
to a shoulder of the latter, or, the spring is too broad by 
one number, and, when the barrel cover is pressed in a 
little, a friction will occur, or finally, the hole is not located 
in the center of the spring. The first coil of the spring 
in this case comes to a stand above the spring core, in con- 
sequence of which the inner end of the spring rubs on 



PRACTICAL RECEIPT BOOK. 1 23 

the cover or bottom of the barrel, whereby the spring is 
pinched in, and thus contracts its elasticity, which has 
happened to me several times. I took out the spring, 
filed the two inner sides of the spring a little smaller, 
rounded their edges with the graver, and with a round 
file filed the hole in the center. It also happens some- 
times that the spring hook is not located exactly in the 
center of the spring core; there are also springs of an 
inferior qualitv, that lose their elasticity after several 
weeks or months, whereby the watch makes a lame 
motion and stops after from 10 to 12 hours. It may also 
occur that the balance spring works loose,, which defect 
also produces a slow motion and finally stoppage; this 
will occur only, however, when the watch has been 
wound too quickly, whereby the balance is transported 
into unduly large vibrations. 

To Detect a Magnetized Watch. 

Every watchmaker should have a fair-sized pocket 
compass placed on or gummed to the under side of the 
showcase glass, and to try every watch that comes in, in 
the presence of the customer. Place the watch a little 
to the east or west of the compass, and revolve it slowly; 
if the watch is magnetized, the compass will move to the 
right and left as the watch is revolved ; if it is not, the 
compass will remain stationary, while the watch is kept 
due east or west of the same. 

Repairing Cylinder Watches. 

It frequently happens that the cylinder edges are worn 
off, and it does not pay to put in a new cylinder; the 
watch may, nevertheless, be put into keeping a good rate 
by altering the escapement. Look at the cylinder and 
see if there is room either above or below the old wears 
to shift the action of the wheel. If the wheel holes are 



124 WATCHMAKERS AND JEWELERS 

of brass, make one a little deeper, and put a shallower 
one on the other side — this may perhaps be sufficient. 
This must be done according as you want your wheel up 
or down. If the holes are stone, shift your wheel on the 
pinion by a new collet, or turning away more of the old 
one, as the case may require. If you raise your wheel, 
see that that it works free of plate and top of cylinder, 
and that the web of wheel clears the top of passage. 
This last fault may be altered by polishing the passage a 
little wider, if the rub is slight. If shifted downward, see 
to freedom at the bottom of cylinder, etc. 

Reducing Diameter of a Watch Glass. 

The diameter of a watch glass can be reduce by cen- 
tering in a lathe, chucking it between two pieces of cork, 
or a pair of cork arbors, and applying a moistened piece 
of glass to the edge, or an emery stick. When the 
desired diameter is attained, polish the edge with pumice 
stone> followed by putty powder applied on a wet cork. 

To Remove Name from Dial. 

Take a little diamond powder made into a paste with 
fine oil, on the end of a copper polisher, the surface of 
which has been freshly riled and slightly rounded. On 
rubbing the marks, they will be seen to rapidly disappear. 
The surface is left a little dull; it may be rendered bright 
by rubbing with the same powder mixed with a greater 
quantity of oil, and applied with a stick of pegwood. 
Operators will do well to previously experiment with 
several degrees of fineness of the powder on old dials. 



INDEX. 



PA«E 

Acid Coloring Small Articles 31 

Alabaster 5 

Arloys 8S 

for Compensation Balance. 101 

Manganese 9S 

Nickel 100 

for Bells 101 

Aluminium Alloys .. 94 

to Polish '... 47 

to Solder 62 

Aluminium Solders 97 

Aluminium and Gold Alloys. 96 

and Silver Alloys 96 

and Copper Alloys 96 

and Tin Alloys 97 

and Zinc Alloys 97 

Amber Cement 3 

Aniline Bronzing Fluid 29 

Annealing 74 

Small Steel Pieces 74 

Springs 75 

Steel... 7S 

Staff or Pinion 76 

Antique Bronze, Imitation of 29 

Green 31 

Silver, Imitation of 25 

Arbor, Barrel _ 115 

Barrel Arbor 115 

Bell Metals 101 

Bending Tempered Steel So 

Black Bronzi 102 

Bleaching Ivory 4S 

Bluing Pan 77 

Steel 28 

of Screws 2S 

Bone acid Horn Cements 10 

Brass, Etching on 69 

Gold Lacquer for 34 

Gold Yellow for 27 

Lacquer for 34 

Polishes 41 

to Clean ... 42 

Broaching of Holes 118 

Bronze, Black 102 

Black for Brass 20 

Brown, Chinese 30 

Green for Brass 19 

Imitation of Antique 29 



PAGE 

Bronze, Violet 120 

Bronzing Fluid, Aniline 29 

ofMedals 30 

and Staining Metals 19 

Brown Bronze, Chinese 30 

Burnishers rij 

Burnishing Powder 56 

Bush, to Fit 119 

Butting 10S 

Canon Pinion, to Tighten 108 

Carbolic Acid on Metal Cutting 

Tools 117 

Celluloid 10 

Cements 3 

Acid Bottle 7 

Acid Proof. 4 

Amber 3 

Armenian 3 

Bisque Figure r .. 6 

Bone and Horn 10 

Coral 7 

Cutlery 8 

Emery Wheel 10 

Engravers' 11 

Fire-Proof 11 

Glass and Metal 8 

Glass and Porcelain.. 9 

Gold and Silver Colored. 12 

Guttapercha 8 

Ivory 9 

Jet.... _ 10 

Jewelers' 3 

Label 7 

Leather _ 6 

Meerschaum 10 

Metal 12 

Metal and Glass 8 

Opticians' 11 

Porcelain and Glass 9 

Rubber 11 

Silver Colored 12 

Strong 12 

Tortoise Shell 12 

Chinese Brown Bronze 30 

Cleaning Brass 42 

Brushes 57 

Clocks.... 47 

Electro Plate 38 



125 



PAGE 

Cleaning- Files.. _ 45 

Go'd Tarnished in Sold- 
ering: 3S 

Ivory Ornaments 40 

Mat Gold 3S 

Nickel Plates 45 

Powder for Show Win- 
dows 56 

Rags 56 

Silverware 40 

Silver Filigree Work 40 

Silver Tarnished in Sold- 
ering.. 40 

Soiled Chamois Leather 57 

Watch Chains 39 

Clocks, to Clean 47 

Coloring Copper 27 

Gold Alloys 90 

Compensation Balances, Alloy for 101 

Composition Files 57 

Copper, Etching on 69 

to Color _. 27 

and Aluminium Alloys 96 

Coral Cement '7 

Cutlery Cement. 8 

Cylinder, Watch, Repairing of... 123 

Dead White on Silver Articles 26 

Dials, Enamel, to Drill 117 

Gold, Restoring Color of 37 

Lacquer for _• , 35 

to Remove Name from 124 

Diamantine 58 

Diamond Drills and Gravers _ 116 

Dissolving Soft Solder 64 

Drills, Diamond 116 

for Hard Steel 116 

Rose 116 

for Enamel Dials 117 

Electro Plate, to Clean 3S 

Emery Wheel Cement 10 

Engravers 1 Border Wax 7 1 

Enamels 13 

Blue 15 

Black 17 

Brown 14 

Dark Red 14 

Fluxes 13 

Green 14 

Light Red 14 

Olive 15 

Opaque White 14 

Orange. 15 

Phosphorescent 17 

Purple 15 

Rose Colored 15 

Violet.. 14 

Watch Dial 16 

White 14 



PAGE 

Enamels Y ellow ] 6 

to Remove from Work iS 

Enamel Solders. 61 

Dial 9 

Dials, to Drill 117 

Etching Copper . 69 

Fluids for Brass 69 

Fluids for Ivory 70 

Fluids for Silver 70 

Grounds for 69 

Signs 70 

Spoons, Etc . 66 

Stamplnk.. 71 

Wax for Steel 71 

Fictitious Silver 99 

Files, to Clean 45 

Filigree Work, to Clean 40 

Fireproof Cement 1 11 

French Polishing Powder 49 

Friction Polish on Steel 43 

Frosting Polished Silver 22 

Silver 21 

Watch Caps 21 

Watch Plates. 21 

Fusing Gold Dust S3 

German Silver, to Solder 63 

Gold Alloys 88 

Blue 90 

Gray 92 

Green - 9 1 

Mat. to Clean 38 

Red - 9 1 

Solders - 60 

Tirge to Silver 25 

Yellow 92 

to Melt.... 83 

to Refine S3 

to Separate from Silver. S2 

Gold and Aluminium Alloys 96 

Hands, to Fit 122 

Hard Solders - 65 

Hardening and Tempering 72 

Steel in Petroleum.... 73 

Liquids 73 

and Tempering Com- 
bined 73 

Holes, Pivot 118 

Square - 118 

to Broach ---- 118 

Horn and Bone Cements 10 

Imitation Antique Silver 25 

Gold Alloys 93 

Silver Alloys 99 

Iron, Lacquer for. 35 

to Whiten... -- 3 2 

Ivory, Bleaching 4§ 

Etching on 7° 

Ornaments, to Clean 4S 



126 



PAGE 

Jewelers' Soldering Fluid. 66 

Jewels - no 

Foot, to Replace m 

New no 

Removing- 112 

to Test for Quality m 

Settings to Polish 43 

Lacquers and Varnishes 33 

Lacquer, Amber 35 

Black for Iron or Steel... 36 

Brass 34 

Dial.. 35 

Fine Pale. 34 

Gold 3S 

Gold for Brass 34 

Gold for Iron. 35 

Green_ 35 

Gypsum. 36 

Metal 36 

Red.. 35 

Silverware 33 

Simple Pale 35 

Steel 36 

Transparent 34 

Magic Polish for Brass 41 

Mainspring, Relation of to Barrel 104 

Manganese Alloys 90 

Mat Brushing 55 

Measuring Length of Staff. 123 

Medals, to Bronze 30 

Melting Gold So 

Nickel Alloys 100 

Movement, to Restore. 46 

Plates, to Clean 45 

Remove Rust from 45 

Niello. 17 

Non-Corrosive Soldering Fluid 66 

Oil Sinks, Functions of.. 119 

Oxidizing Silverware 25 

Oxidizing Silver, Brown Black. ._ 26 

Blue Black..... 26 

Pearls, to Drill ... 117 

Pickling of Metals 51 

Solutions 50 

Pickle for Brass 50 

for German Silver 50 

for Gold Alloys 57 

Pinion Diameter 10S 

Removing Rust from 45 

Pink Tint on Silver 26 

Pivots, Friction of 114 

Shape of 113 

Holes.. 118 

Platinum Alloys 94. 

Polishing Agents 37 

Aluminium 47 

Brass ._ 41 

Jewel Settings 4^ 



PAGE 

Polishing Paste for Brass 41 

Powder for Gold 37 

Powder for Silver 40 

Rollers and Collets 44 

Watch Wheels.... 42 

Prepared Chalk .. - 5S 

Preserving the Color of Gold while 

Soldering _ gj 

Preserving the Color of Silver while 

Soldering 6 t 

Pulz Powder 49 

Putty Powder 49 

Rating a Watch 122 

Recovering Gold from Coloring 

Bath S4 

Recovering Gold from Mixed Me- 
tals S2 

Recovering Gold from Textiles... 84 

Recovery and Refining of Waste. 82 

Refining Gold S3 

Silver S6 

Sweepings S2 

Relation of Mainspring to Barrel. 104 

Remedy for Worn Pinions 1 oS 

Removing Rust from Nickel 45 

Spots on Gilding 3S 

Stains from Watch 

Dials 48 

Tin from Gold S4 

Broken Screws. 120 

Restoring Color of Gold Dials 37 

Nickel Move- 
ments 46 

Rose Cutter 116 

Rouge 49 

Rubber Cement . 11 

Ruby Pin 112 

Rust, to Remove from Pinions 45 

Steel 44 

Scratch Brushing 54 

Screws, to Blue Evenly 2S 

Broken, to Remove 120 

Screw Threads, to Cut 121 

Separating Gold from Silver 82 

Silver. 85 

Silver from Copper S6 

Silver from Solution 86 

Silver Assay with Testing Tube.. 99 

by Smelting 99 

Silver and Aluminium Alloys 96 

Silver, Etching on 7° 

' Plating, Without Battery.. 22 

Plating Fluid 23 

Plating Simple Method 23 

Refining - 86 

Soaps 39 

Solders 62- 

to Frost 21 



127 



PAGE 

Silver to Oxidize 25 

Watch Dials, to Whiten... 26 

Silverware, Cleaning 40 

Lacquer for 33 

Oxidizing 25 

Silvering- Copper and Brass 22 

Metal, Cold 24 

Receipt 24 

Small Iron Articles 24 

Tincture 30 

Soft Soldering 63 

Soft Solder, to Dissolve.. 64 

Solder, Aluminium 97 

Aluminium 62 

Brass 62 

Fluxes 65 

Gold 60 

Hard -. 65 

Silver 62 

Soft 64 

Wire 65 

Solders and Soldering- 59 

Soldering Broken Broaches.. 62 

Enameledjewelry 61 

Forceps 59. 

German Silver .... 63 

Stay Springs. 62 

Stone Set Kings 63 

Spots on Plated Articles, to Cover 31 

Stains, Antique Green 31 

Blue on Brass or Copper.. 20 

Dead Black on Brass 20 

Gold Yellow for Brass 27 

Green for Brass 20 

Orange for Brass 17 

Steel Gray for Brass 20 

Violet for Brass 19 

Stamp Ink 71 

Steel, Bluingof 2S 

Hard, to Drill - 116 

Transparent Blue for 27 

to Bronze 28 



PAGE 

Steel, to Polish 43 

to Remove Rust from 44 

Stone Set Rings to Solder 63 

Specific Gravities 88 

Spring, Balance 103 

Balance, Isochronism of.. 105 

Breguet 103 

Gold, to Harden 105 

to Demagnetize 104 

to Prevent Rusting 104 

Tempering 76 

Drills So 

Magntts 79 

Small Steel Articles 79 

Tightening a Canon Pinion 10S 

Tortoise Shell Cement 12 

Transparent Blue for Steel 27 

Tripoli... 49 

Varnishes and Lacquers 3} 

Vienna Lime 5S 

Violet Bronze 102 

Watch Caps, to Frost 21 

Chains, to Clean 39 

Dials, to Remove Stains 

from 48 

Dials, to Whiten 26 

Glassess, Reducing Dia- 
meter of.. 124 

Magnetized 123 

Plates, to Frost 22 

Repairing Cylinder 123 

To Rate 122 

Wheels, to Polish 42 

Wheels and Pinions 106 

Butting of. 10S 

'Scape, Teeth of 106 

to Bush 106 

to Grind Down 107 

to Insert Teeth in 107 

Whitening of Silver Watch Dials 26 

Wire Solder, to Make 65 

Yellow Solder for Brass 62 



128 



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